Affiliations: Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health,
Rehabilitation Counseling Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL,
USA | Center for Disability Studies, Department of
Educational Foundations and Special Services, Kent State University, Kent, OH,
USA | Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources, and
Communication Disorders, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
Abstract: This paper describes research regarding factors predicting career
optimism for a group of postsecondary students with disabilities (N = 208) who
were enrolled in seven colleges and universities in four states. Career
optimism was defined as a student's self-confidence regarding his or her
ability to choose, maintain, and advance in an appropriate career. The proposed
model incorporated variables related to employment discrimination and
disincentives such as perceived impact of disability on one's education and
quality of life, racial/ethnic status, gender, and presence of disability
benefits. Results indicated that two aspects of "disadvantagement,"
specifically severity of perceived impact of disability and racial/ethnic
status, were significant predictors of career optimism. Implications of the
findings were discussed in terms of informational interventions, curricula,
development of self-advocacy and self-determination, and research topics.
