Affiliations: Kent State University, Center for Disability Studies,
Department of Educational Foundations & Special Services, P.O. Box 5190,
413 White Hall, Kent, OH 44242-0001. Tel.: +1 330 672 0600; Fax: +1 330 672
2512; E-mail: prumrill@kent.edu | University of Arkansas, Department of Rehabilitation,
Human Resources, and Communication Disorders, Fayetteville, AR, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: This article presents findings pertinent to the relationship between
on-the-job barriers and job satisfaction among employed people with multiple
sclerosis (MS). Fifty-nine adults with MS (N = 59), who self-initiated a
telephone call to an employment hotline for assistance in managing their MS on
the job, participated in structured job accommodation interviews (Work
Experience Survey – WES). Respondents reported few worksite accessibility
problems, a moderate number of performance difficulties, few job mastery
problems, and relatively high levels of job satisfaction. Restricted range in
the job mastery variable precluded its contribution to the hypothesized
regression equation predicting job satisfaction, but the total number of
worksite accessibility and essential function barriers correlated significantly
and negatively with job satisfaction (r = -0.33, r^2 = 0.11,
p < 0.015). A rationale for early intervention to reduce workplace barriers
is presented, grounded in these findings and career development theory.
