Affiliations: Instituto Universitario de Integración en la
Comunidad, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Salamanca, Avda. de la
Merced, 109-131, 37005-Salamanca, Spain. Tel.: +34 923 29 46 17; Fax: +34 923
29 46 85; E-mail: crisje@gugu.usal.es | Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, The
University Affiliated Program of Indiana, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN,
USA | Employment Unit, Cheshire County Council, Supported
Employment Service, Hartford Business Centre, Harford, Northwich CW8 2AB,
UK | BAG UB -- German Association of Supported Employment,
Schulterblatt 36, D- 20357 Hamburg, Germany | Job Support, Inc. PO Box 429, Kingsgrove, NSW 2208,
Australia
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: Increasingly, supported employment is an available alternative for
people with disabilities all over the world. However, there remains a great
deal more segregated and non-inclusive employment than inclusive jobs for
people with significant disabilities. In European countries, there is a lack of
legislation at a national level, unlike the United States. Ongoing research on
the benefits derived from supported employment show that people with
disabilities realize better economic and social benefits than in non-integrated
work settings. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships
between supports and outcomes in supported employment in an international
context. 448 participants (aged 18--40+ years) from Australia, Germany, and the
United Kingdom were included in this study. Data was obtained from an
instrument developed by Mank et al. [26,27,28] which included demographic,
disability, and employment information. Results provide evidence that (1) less
natural support strategies during the entry process correspond to less typical
job outcomes, (2) more typical interventions during the job development
correspond to better social, economical, and performance outcomes, and (3)
economical, social, and performance outcomes are strongly related. The authors
stress the need for developing supportive work environments, where natural
agents provide supports, in order to obtain quality outcomes.
