Furthering disability rights through inclusive education and employment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite disability rights advocacy and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, people with disabilities continue to be under employed in America. For the past 20 years vocational rehabilitation agencies have developed effective strategies to better prepare people for employment however, employment outcomes have not increased.

OBJECTIVE: This article examines common employment strategies as they related to the medical model of disability and asserts that perhaps it is time to shift the focus of our efforts to examine and address employers’ misconceptions and bias’ regarding people with disabilities.

CONCLUSION: The social model of disability is presented as an alternative that seeks to target change in attitude and awareness of those without disability through employer and inclusive education.

Keywords

Employment medical model social model employer perceptions inclusive education

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References

Bureau of Labor Statistic, U.S. Department of Labor (2013). Persons with a disability: Labor force characteristics 2012. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm

Harkin statement at HELP committee hearing “Lessons from the field: Learning from whatworks for employment for persons with disabilities (2011). Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor&Pensions. Retrieved fromhttp://www.help.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=5ff262eb-c849-4aaa-97bf-b9c3293a9f7c&groups=Chair

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High expectations: Transforming the American workforce as the ADA generation comes of age (2013). Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. Retrieved fromhttp://www.harkin.senate.gov/documents/pdf/52446704c3501.pdf

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