| Citation: |
Migliore, A., Mank, D., Grossi, T. & Rogan, P. (2007). Integrated employment or sheltered workshops: Preference of adults with intellectual disabilities, their families, and staff..
Journal of vocational rehabilitation, 26 4-19.
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| Title: |
Integrated employment or sheltered workshops: Preference of adults with intellectual disabilities, their families, and staff. |
| Authors: |
Migliore, A., Mank, D., Grossi, T. & Rogan, P. |
| Year: |
2007 |
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Journal/Publication:
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Journal of vocational rehabilitation |
| Publisher: |
IOS Press |
| Full text: |
http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-vocational-rehabili...
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PDF
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| Peer-reviewed? |
Yes
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| NIDILRR-funded? |
No
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| Background: |
Research examining the gap between supported employment policy and practice. 76% of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities are served in facility-based programs reflecting an incongruence with state and national policies regarding integrated employment. |
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Purpose:
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This study focused on whether the gap between policy and practice was based on preferences of adults with intellectual disabilities and their families for work outside facility-based programs or within. The study conducted a literature review and conducted a survey asking the questions: Would adults with intellectual disabilities (and their family and staff) prefer employment outside of workshops, Do family and staff believe that adults with intellectual disability would have the capacity to work outside of workshops, and is there a difference in response to the above questions. Researchers further asked if specific circumstances influenced preferences and perceptions regarding work outside of workshops. |
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Study sample: |
A total of 619 participants were involved in the study: 210 adults with intellectual disabilities attending workshops across a state in the Midwest, 185 caregivers to the adults with intellectual disabilities and 224 staff in workshops who knew the adults with intellectual disabilities. |
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Data collection and analysis:
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Three instruments were developed for the purpose of the study: a structured interview protocol for adults with intellectual disabilities, a written survey for families and caregivers, and a written survey for staff. Demographic data was collected from the state's day and employment services data program through the state Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Bureau of Developmental Disabilities.
Comparisons were performed for each pair of adults with intellectual disability, their staff and their family using McNemar and Binomial tests. |
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Findings:
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The majority of respondents int he study indicated that they would prefer employment outside sheltered workshops or would consider it if support was available (63% Yes; 11% maybe). The majority of family and staff respondents believed that adults with intellectual disability could perform work outside of workshops (38% and 40% Yes, family and staff respectively; 29% and 25% Maybe, family and staff respectively) |
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Conclusions:
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Though the study may or may not be generalized to a population outside of the state in which it was conducted, a majority of adults with intellectual disabilities would prefer to work in integrated employment rather than facility-based. The study supports the literature that advocates for systems change policy in promotion of employment for adults with intellectual disabilities in the general labor market as opposed to sheltered workshops. |
