Affiliations: University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Commonwealth Medicine Division, Shrewsbury, MA, USA | Bristol Employment Collaborative, Taunton, MA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Aniko Laszlo, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, Commonwealth Medicine Division, 333 South St,
Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA. Tel.: +1 508 856 8817; Fax: +1 508 856 4456; E-mail:
aniko.laszlo@umassmed.edu
Abstract: Unemployment is a significant problem among working-age adults with
disabilities. The Bristol Employment Collaborative (BEC), one of five Regional
Employment Collaboratives in Massachusetts, brings together State agencies,
community employment service providers, educational institutions, local
businesses, economic development organizations, and people with disabilities to
design and implement regional strategies to enhance employment opportunities
and outcomes for people with disabilities. Launched in 2009, BEC has developed
an innovative model to train people with disabilities to become personal
assistance services workers, a healthcare occupation with high demand. The case
study describes the strategic planning process undertaken by BEC partners to
develop a certificate program to be offered by the local community college. The
first class enrolled in September 2010 and graduated ten weeks later.
Innovative approaches such as the one being pursued and developed by the BEC
could help address both unemployment for people with disabilities and the labor
shortages in the healthcare sector.
