Affiliations: Box 354842, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
98195, USA. Tel.: +1 206 543 0622; Fax: +1 206 685 4054; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Many young people entering the workforce are not well prepared to
meet the demands of a dynamic work environment. Students with disabilities
benefit from work-based learning activities as much as, if not more than, their
non-disabled peers. Unfortunately, many school-to-work programs in high school
and cooperative education and internship programs in college do not fully
include students with disabilities, a group that represents an increasing
proportion of today's school population. The University of Washington conducted
a three-year project to help students with disabilities head toward successful
careers by using a holistic and collaborative approach. Besides the students
served, the team includes staff from precollege and postsecondary educational
institutions, parents, mentors, employers, and community service providers. A
post-work-experience survey was developed to answer the question "What impact
do work-based learning experiences have on career-related attitudes, knowledge,
and skills for students with disabilities?" Participants reported considerable
benefit from their work-based learning experiences. They gained motivation to
work toward a career, learned about careers and the workplace, gained
job-related skills, learned to work with supervisors and co-workers, and
developed accommodation strategies.
Keywords: disability, work, careers, internships, technology, college, parents, mentors, Internet
