Affiliations: Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Note: [] This study was supported in part by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The opinions herein, however, do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Office of Special Education, United States Department of Education.
Note: [] Corresponding author.
Abstract: It is commonly assumed that any work environment can be potentially dangerous if employees do not know how to prevent accidents and respond appropriately to emergency situations. As the number of individuals with disabilities involved in supported employment increase, more injuries may occur. There is presently no available data base on the number or types of injuries persons with disabilities sustain in supported employment. A sample of employers were surveyed to identify potential causes of accidents and the types of injuries sustained by supported employees. Results indicated that a sizeable number of employees sustain injuries. Sprains or strains were the injuries reported most frequently, and the most frequently reported causes of accidents were general carelessness or improper positioning. Results are discussed in terms of providing consumers systematic training in work safety.
Keywords: Accident cause, Injury type, Environmental cause, Behavioral cause, Work safety, Work injury
