Predicting community- versus facility-based employment for transition-aged young adults with disabilities: The role of race, ethnicity, and support systems
Affiliations: Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Rooshey Hasnain Ed.D., Visiting Research Assistant Professor, Department of Disability and Human Development, Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 Roosevelt Road-Room 451-A, Chicago, IL 60608-6904, USA. Tel.: +1 312 413 0416; Fax: +1 312 413 1804; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: This study examines the effects of socio-economic, attitudinal, and support-related variables on the employment status of young adults with disabilities who participate in community-based and facility-based work settings. It was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,899 young adults with disabilities, ages 18 to 26, from White, Black/African-American, and Latino backgrounds living in the U.S. Secondary analyses of the data showed that race/ethnicity, gender, education, socioeconomic level, perception of disability by respondents and family members, and the availability of formal (e.g., vocational rehabilitation service) and informal supports (e.g., family/friends) are significantly related to community-based employment. The results suggest that non-White young adults with disabilities are less likely to be employed in a community-based setting, compared with their White peers, even after controlling for other variables. The need for more effective policies and programs to support successful transition into community-based employment for members of ethnic and racial population groups is discussed.
Keywords: Transition, ethnic and racial disparities, young adults with disabilities, culture, employment outcomes, national survey research
