Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation - Volume 46, issue 2

Authors: Iwasaki, Yoshitaka

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Humans strive for meaning-making, which refers to the process by which a person derives meanings from an activity in life and makes sense of one’s life. OBJECTIVE: This paper summarizes the research-based knowledge about the role of leisure in meaning-making, and describes implications of this role for rehabilitation to engage individuals with disabilities. RESULTS: The key themes of meaning-making through leisure include: (1) identity, (2) creativity, (3) connectedness, (4) harmony/balance, (5) stress-coping and healing, (6) growth/transformation, and (7) experiential and existential aspects of leisure. These seven themes seem to converge for the idea that …engagement with life is an overarching theme to describe these functions. Specifically, a meaningful engagement with life can be achieved by maintaining several elements including: (a) a joyful life, (b) a composed life, (c) a connected life, (d) a discovered life, and (e) a hopeful and empowered life. Research has shown that leisure can promote all of these elements of meaningful engagement with life. CONCLUSIONS: Any leisure activity that has an element of engagement in a broad sense (e.g., with self, others, and nature/world) can facilitate meaning-making, while meaning-focused leisure practice emphasizes the value of people proactively leading the process rather than people being told what to do in a prescriptive way. Show more

Keywords: Engagement, meaning of life, purpose of life, recreation

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-160858

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 225-232, 2017

Authors: O’Hare, M.A. | Murphy, G.C.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation research has emphasised job acquisition post-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) but has comparatively neglected job retention. As job withdrawal represents a substantial – albeit less-visible – employment outcome, interventions that address job withdrawal are vital. OBJECTIVES: To examine (1) retrospectively-assessed intention to participate in interventions designed to minimise job withdrawal factors and identify those most likely to be used and (2) the extent to which the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) can predict participation intention. METHODS: Using purposive sampling, 35 SCI participants completed a structured online survey to assess their beliefs about …10 interventions designed to minimise specific job-withdrawal factors. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed that intention to participate was higher in interventions that were e -based (ongoing monitoring, support, mentoring, peer-sharing), skill-acquisition-based (interview techniques, accessing the hidden job market) or focused on pain management. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was generally a good predictor of participation intention. CONCLUSION: Application of the TPB conceptual framework provides rehabilitation professionals and policy-makers with rarely-reported evidence about potential intervention participation to more effectively guide public health decision-making. Show more

Keywords: Theory of planned behaviour (TPB), traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), job retention, job withdrawal, intervention, return to work (RTW)

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-160859

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 233-243, 2017

Authors: Moore, Ruby | Friedman, Mark

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Recent laws, regulations, court cases and policies have included the requirement that people with disabilities be provided the opportunity to exercise informed choice in decision-making to promote inclusion and integration into society. These contemporary developments build on principles established in the early deinstitutionalization litigation, including rights to habilitation and to community settings as a remedy for unnecessary institutionalization. OBJECTIVE: This policy paper examines these regulatory, legal and policy changes to better understand the legal mandate for informed choice and its application to promote competitive integrated employment. METHODS: This policy paper analyzes the foundation of …informed choice as presented in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Final Rule, two landmark Department of Justice (DOJ) court cases (Oregon and Rhode Island) regarding sheltered workshops, the Olmstead decision by the Supreme Court and recent interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The paper includes interpretations of informed choice from key civil rights lawyers in key court cases, reviews of case law, statutes, regulations, policy initiatives, executive orders, state Employment First initiatives and landmark settlement agreements. RESULTS: It is the authors’ finding that, in combination, these laws, regulations and policies form a mandate for informed choice and create an affirmative obligation on the part of government entities to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to experience competitive integrated employment outside of sheltered workshops and other segregated settings as integral to making informed choices. CONCLUSIONS: The article posits that informed choice and the resulting affirmative obligation it embodies has not been sufficiently implemented by governmental and other private entities, and additional affirmative steps are needed to fully secure the legally mandated right to informed choice regarding employment services. Show more

Keywords: Employment, self-determination, supported employment, competitive integrated employment, employment services, vocational rehabilitation, Olmstead, Pennhurst, informed choice

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-160860

Citation: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 245-264, 2017