scholarly journals The employment information needs of people with intellectual disabilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Andrew Henry
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Supported Employment ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

<p>Three dimensions of Nick Moore’s (2002) model of social information needs: agents, mechanisms and form, were used to analyse the employment information needs of people with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand.  Through semi-structured interviews with people with intellectual disabilities, care givers, disability professionals and supported employment providers it was found that people with intellectual disabilities have great difficulty looking for employment information and that information alone is not enough to encourage people with intellectual disabilities into pursuing employment opportunities. Previous experiences and expectations played a strong role in discouraging information seeking. Many participants were nervous about beginning to look for employment information as they had very little previous experience in doing so, and held reservations about their chances of being successful.  Printed information is not very relevant and tailored or personalised information is the most effective, preferably delivered verbally, in person. Trust and authority were important aspects of information for all of the participants.  Structural barriers around minimum wage exemptions and employment subsidies were mentioned as significant by the employers and supported employment agencies. A lack of promotion, due to resource constraints of these services was also sighted as a major barrier and employers believed there was a lack of awareness of the extent of the support available in workplaces.  The confidence derived from achieving educational and vocational qualifications is often denied to people with intellectual disabilities through educational structures and the ways in which knowledge is tested and demonstrated. This study has shown this to be a major factor influencing the employment information seeking process of people with intellectual disabilities.</p>

scholarly journals The employment information needs of people with intellectual disabilities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Andrew Henry
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Supported Employment ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

<p>Three dimensions of Nick Moore’s (2002) model of social information needs: agents, mechanisms and form, were used to analyse the employment information needs of people with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand.  Through semi-structured interviews with people with intellectual disabilities, care givers, disability professionals and supported employment providers it was found that people with intellectual disabilities have great difficulty looking for employment information and that information alone is not enough to encourage people with intellectual disabilities into pursuing employment opportunities. Previous experiences and expectations played a strong role in discouraging information seeking. Many participants were nervous about beginning to look for employment information as they had very little previous experience in doing so, and held reservations about their chances of being successful.  Printed information is not very relevant and tailored or personalised information is the most effective, preferably delivered verbally, in person. Trust and authority were important aspects of information for all of the participants.  Structural barriers around minimum wage exemptions and employment subsidies were mentioned as significant by the employers and supported employment agencies. A lack of promotion, due to resource constraints of these services was also sighted as a major barrier and employers believed there was a lack of awareness of the extent of the support available in workplaces.  The confidence derived from achieving educational and vocational qualifications is often denied to people with intellectual disabilities through educational structures and the ways in which knowledge is tested and demonstrated. This study has shown this to be a major factor influencing the employment information seeking process of people with intellectual disabilities.</p>

scholarly journals Facilitating factors for the job placement of workers with intellectual disabilities: supervisors and coworker mentors perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 213-227
Author(s):  
Miquel Àngel Pellicena ◽  
Ignasi Ivern ◽  
Climent Giné ◽  
Olga Múries
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Supported Employment ◽  
Organizational Strategies ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of organizational strategies, attitudes and supports that can help people with intellectual disabilities to access competitive jobs through supported employment. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study was carried out based on an intentional sampling involving the coworker mentors of six people with intellectual disabilities currently working in standardized environments. Semi-structured interviews were performed with the participants, and an inductive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Findings The study identified five critical factors in the work of people with intellectual disabilities in standardized work environments, which potentially could act as facilitators or as obstacles, depending on how they were managed. The study also identified two key factors that acted mainly as facilitators and one as an obstacle. Originality/value The study reveals the existence of factors that sometimes act as facilitators and sometimes as obstacles, depending on how they are managed by the company leaders or the disabled worker himself.

scholarly journals User-driven efforts in creating knowledge graph information system

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-111
Author(s):  
Stanislava Gardasevic
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
The Body ◽  
Knowledge Graph ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper presents the results of a qualitative study that involved students of an interdisciplinary PhD program. The study objective was to gather requirements to create a knowledge graph information system. The purpose of this study was to determine information-seeking practices and information needs of this community, to inform the functionalities of a proposed system, intended to help students with relevant resource discovery and decision-making. Design/methodology/approach The study design included semi-structured interviews with eight members of the community, followed by a website usability study with the same student participants. Findings Two main information-seeking styles are recognized and reported through user personas of international and domestic (USA) students. The findings show that the useful information resides within the community and not so much on the program website. Students rely on peer communication, although they report lack of opportunities to connect. Students’ information needs and information seeking are dependent on their progress through the program, as well as their motivation and the projected timeline. Practical implications Considering the current information needs and practices, a knowledge graph hosting both information on social networks and the knowledge produced by the activities of the community members would be useful. By recording data on their activities (for example, collaboration with professors and coursework), students would reveal further useful system functionalities and facilitate transfer of tacit knowledge. Originality/value Aside from the practical value of this research that is directly influencing the design of a system, it contributes to the body of knowledge on interdisciplinary PhD programs.

scholarly journals “I actually got my first job through my ex-colleague”: Employment-related information seeking behavior of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062199280
Author(s):  
Nafiz Zaman Shuva
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Immigrant Professionals ◽  
Government Of Canada ◽  
First Job

This study explores the employment-related information seeking behaviour of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, Canada, and obtained 205 survey responses. The study highlights the centrality of employment-related settlement among Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario and reports many immigrants not being able to utilize their education and skills after arrival in Canada. The results show that Bangladeshi immigrants utilize various information sources for their employment in Canada, including friends and professional colleagues, online searchers, and settlement agencies. Although Bangladeshi immigrants utilized a large array of information sources for meeting their employment-related information needs, many interview participants emphasized that the employment-related benefits they received was because of their access to friends and professional colleagues in Canada. The survey results echoed the interview findings. The cross-tabulation results on post-arrival information sources and occupation status as well as first job information sources and occupational status in Canada show a significant association among the use of the information source “friends and professional colleagues in Canada” and immigrants’ occupational status. The study highlights the benefits of professional colleagues among immigrants in employment-related settlement contexts. It also reports the challenges faced by many immigrant professionals related to employment-related settlement because of the lack of access to their professional friends and colleagues in Canada. The author urges the Federal Government of Canada, provincial governments, and settlement agencies working with newcomers to offer services that would connect highly skilled immigrants with their professional networks in Canada, in order to get proper guidance related to obtaining a professional job or alternative career. The author calls for further studies on employment-related information seeking by immigrants to better understand the role information plays in their settlement in a new country.

Factors affecting the information-seeking behaviour of postgraduate students at the University of South Africa Ethiopia Regional Learning Centre

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Addisalem Gebrekidan Desta ◽  
Madely du Preez ◽  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Electronic Information ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviour ◽  
The University

The purpose of this study was to investigate some of the factors affecting the information-seeking behaviour of postgraduate students registered at the University of South Africa (Unisa) as represented by its Ethiopia Regional Learning Centre, with particular emphasis on their use of electronic information resources. A qualitative case study approach was adopted. In semi-structured interviews, eight conveniently selected postgraduate students shared their information-seeking experiences. The data was analysed thematically. The findings identified contextual and personal factors which gave rise to the respondents’ information needs and in turn prompted information activities such as information seeking. Of these, a lack of ICT infrastructure, frequent interruptions in electricity supply, old computers and the location of the Akaki Branch Library proved to be the main factors affecting postgraduate students’ electronic information-seeking behaviour. The findings showed the effect that inadequate facilities have on postgraduate students’ information behaviour.

scholarly journals Aspirations held by young adults with intellectual disabilities and their mothers

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Mary McMahon ◽  
Karen Moni ◽  
Monica Cuskelly ◽  
Jan Lloyd ◽  
Anne Jobling
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Young People ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Future Aspirations ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Adults With Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

This study reports on Australian small-scale exploratory descriptive research into how young people with intellectual disability and their families construct their futures. The aims of this research were to (a) better understand the future aspirations held by young adults with intellectual disability and their parents, (b) identify enablers and barriers to the achievement of these aspirations, and (c) provide insights for career practitioners who support young people with intellectual disability and their parents to achieve their personal and career goals. Participants were four young people with intellectual disabilities aged between 18 and 30 years and their mothers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. Results provide a nuanced understanding of the issues facing young people with intellectual disabilities and their families in constructing their futures. Suggestions are offered that can inform career development practice and policy.

scholarly journals Trainer and support staff’s experiences of engaging with the Who’s Challenging Who? challenging behaviour training course

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Flynn ◽  
Richard P Hastings ◽  
David Gillespie ◽  
Rachel McNamara ◽  
Elizabeth Randell
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Challenging Behaviour ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Training Course ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Background: The Who’s Challenging Who? (WCW) training is coproduced and delivered by people with intellectual disabilities (IDs), and it aims to improve staff empathy for people with challenging behaviour (CB). This study qualitatively describes trainees’ and trainers’ experiences of the WCW. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with managers ( n = 7), support staff ( n = 6) and the WCW trainers ( n = 4; three had IDs). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two cross-cutting themes were drawn from the data: (1) valued roles of the trainers, whereby trainers and trainees benefited from the training being coproduced and delivered by people with IDs, and (2) beyond the training, within which trainees reported that they were engaging in increased reflection about their past and current practice. Conclusions: Being trained by people with IDs and CB appears to be a useful method, which can lead to perspective taking and reflection about supporting people with IDs and CB.

The Psychiatric Care of People with Intellectual Disabilities: The Perceptions of Consultant Psychiatrists in Victoria

1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 774-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Lennox ◽  
Robert Chaplin
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
University Departments ◽  
Responsible Government ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Zealand College ◽  
Psychiatric Profession ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Objective: This study was undertaken to establish the perceptions of psychiatrists regarding the care of people with intellectual disabilities. Method: A 28-item self-administered questionnaire was developed, piloted and sent on two occasions to 467 psychiatrists who receive the newsletter of the Victorian branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. The questionnaire incorporated a Likert scale to document the opinions of the respondents. Results: A response rate of 51.1 % was achieved. The respondents indicated that, in their opinion, people with intellectual disabilities receive a poor standard of care in the inpatient and community setting. To improve this situation, the following strategies were recommended: the development of improved liaison between services; improved training for all personnel who provide services to people with intellectual disabilities; the development of greater resources; and support for professionals working in the area. The study also indicates that there is a core group of very interested psychiatrists who are currently practising and that people with intellectual disabilities are accessing private psychiatric services. In addition, the results suggest that diagnostic overshadowing is not a major barrier to psychiatric assessment, and that disorders which were presumed to be commonly overlooked by doctors (such as depression) are in fact frequently being diagnosed. Conclusions: Despite some positive findings, the majority of psychiatrists who responded held major concerns about the situation of people with intellectual disabilities. To improve the care provided to these people, it is recommended that these concerns are addressed by the psychiatric profession and responsible government departments in conjunction with university departments of psychiatry.

scholarly journals Homeless Patrons Utilize the Library for More than Shelter but Public Library Services Are Not Designed with Them in Mind

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 174-175
Author(s):  
Samantha J. Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Convenience Sample

A Review of: Dowdell, L., & Liew, C. L. (2019). More than a shelter: Public libraries and the information needs of people experiencing homelessness. Library & Information Science Research, 41(4), 100984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2019.100984 Abstract Objective – The study sought to examine the information seeking behavior of homeless patrons and how public libraries meet the needs of homeless patrons. Design – Qualitative phenomenological study. Setting – Public libraries in New Zealand. Subjects – Four homeless patrons who were current library patrons and seven public library workers (senior managers and two front line workers). Methods – Purposive convenience sample of homeless patrons and library workers to participate in face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The study utilized Creswell's four-step data analysis spiral to produce a synthesis. Main Results – Homeless patrons utilize public libraries for far more than daytime shelter, patronizing the collections, and accessing services. The participating libraries did not have existing policies, practices, services, or staff designed for the needs and wants of homeless people, however, current offerings largely met the needs of homeless patrons. Conclusion – Homeless people use public libraries much like non-homeless patrons and public libraries could develop specialized offerings for them, though they must take care to do so in a way that does not further marginalize this group. Additional research is needed to understand why some homeless people do not utilize the libraries. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document