Employer Perspectives on Hiring and Accommodating Youth in Transition

Work-based experiences are critical educational adjuncts for the career development of youth with disabilities. Such experiences are dependent on willing and available employers. This article examines effective workplace supports and accommodations and relates them to employer perspectives of bringing youth with disabilities into the workplace. Employment supports, including assistive technology, that may be required by youth with disabilities are also examined in relation to typical internal company human resource management practices. A review of the literature and two case study illustrations strongly suggest that employer attitudes toward disability are less significant when deciding to bring youth into the workplace than are other factors, notably the identification of workplace supports, accommodations, and interventions that also contribute to improvement of companies' operational and organizational processes. Combining special education and disability employment interventions with typical company human resource interventions can facilitate the achievement of a more accessible workplace for youth with disabilities. Implications for education and transition programs are discussed.