Affiliations: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA | Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, Virginia
Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA | Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory, Virginia
Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA | Department of African American Studies, Virginia
Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Michelle A. Meade, Ph.D., Department
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO
Box 980677, Richmond, VA 23298-0677, USA. Tel.: +1 804 828 5401; Fax: +1 804
828 6340; E-mail: mameade@vcu.edu
Abstract: Employment brings many benefits but is often unavailable,
inaccessible to or underutilized by individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and
other significant physical disabilities. Vocational Rehabilitation Services can
provide assistance in obtaining employment, however the extent that these
services are accessed, desired or valued by individuals with SCI is unknown. To
begin to address this issue, a survey was distributed to individuals with SCI
in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Respondents were asked to describe the types
of services that they had or were interested in receiving. Information is
presented on individuals with SCI between the ages of 18 and 64 years old
(n=445), about 46% of whom were working for pay at the time of survey
completion. Approximately 32% of respondents reported receiving at least one
job-related service, the most frequent of which was vocational counseling
(19.8%). No gender differences were found between individuals who did and those
who did not receive services. Racial differences were found, with non-Whites
more likely to have received services. The services that individuals most
frequently reported an interest in receiving included assistance with
developing a new job skill (24.2%), assistance with finding a job (21.3%) and
retirement planning (19.3%). Once again, no gender differences were found,
though significant differences did exist related to both race and employment
status. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations
are made.
