ABSTRACT
This article reviews the employment status of people with MS, the importance of employment, key barriers to employment, and compensatory and accommodation strategies to enhance employment. Resources and recommendations for health care providers to assist their patients in maintaining, securing, or leaving employment are presented.
Subject(s)
Employment , Multiple Sclerosis/physiopathology , Disability Evaluation , Disabled Persons/legislation & jurisprudence , Employment/classification , Employment/legislation & jurisprudence , Employment, Supported/classification , Employment, Supported/methods , Humans , Insurance, Disability , Multiple Sclerosis/rehabilitation , United States , Workload , WorkplaceABSTRACT
Information was gathered via a mailed questionnaire from approximately 85% of Maryland service providers offering vocational services funded by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration. The weekly earnings of persons placed in supported employment were 3.5 times the earnings of persons employed on the premises of the service provider. Nevertheless, there was strong evidence that substantial improvements are needed, and possible, in supported employment. Among urgently needed improvements are (a) the ability to recruit and retain qualified vocational workers, (b) enhanced procedures for locating more and higher quality jobs, (c) expanded transportation arrangements, (d) improved training for vocational workers, and (e) an information system to measure performance and identify problems.
Subject(s)
Employment, Supported/statistics & numerical data , Persons with Mental Disabilities/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Data Collection , Employment, Supported/classification , Employment, Supported/economics , Humans , Inservice Training/organization & administration , Intellectual Disability/rehabilitation , Maryland , Persons with Mental Disabilities/rehabilitation , Salaries and Fringe Benefits , State Government , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A random sample (N = 197) of supported employees with mental retardation was examined in a longitudinal study. Results indicate that intelligence, prior earnings, and federal job subsidy predicted future earnings. Statistical controls applied to the stratified sample show that job placement, job type, subsidy, and means of transportation had little influence on earnings.
