Prevalence of injuries among supported employees

It is commonly assumed that any work environment can be potentially dangerous if employees do not know how to prevent accidents and respond appropriately to emergency situations. As the number of individuals with disabilities involved in supported employment increase, more injuries may occur. There is presently no available data base on the number or types of injuries persons with disabilities sustain in supported employment. A sample of employers were surveyed to identify potential causes of accidents and the types of injuries sustained by supported employees. Results indicated that a sizeable number of employees sustain injuries. Sprains or strains were the injuries reported most frequently, and the most frequently reported causes of accidents were general carelessness or improper positioning. Results are discussed in terms of providing consumers systematic training in work safety.