Background: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health includes important considerations of environmental context in understanding disability, but the environmental impact is often difficult to measure. Purpose: Demonstrates the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in…

Purpose: The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) provides a framework for understanding and accommodating disability. This study examined predictors and outcomes of ICF familiarity among rehabilitation counselors. Method: Analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analysis were used to examine research questions related to ICF…

Purpose: Four African American women with multiple sclerosis (MS) participated in an evaluation of barriers to their continued employment. Methods: A trained interviewer completed the Work Experience Survey (WES) in teleconsultation sessions with each participant to identify their: (a) barriers to worksite access, (b) difficulties performing…

Purpose: This correlational study examined relationships among (a) health and function factors, (b) work environmental factors, and (c) perceived psychological stress among employed people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Method: Based on responses to a national survey by 523 employed people with MS, this study used a hierarchical multiple regression…

Background: Emerging adults, the developmental period ranging from the late teens through the 20s, experience chronic pain at an estimated rate of 7.6%--14.3% and report greater pain interference (i.e., pain that disrupts daily life activities) than middle-aged or older adults. Chronic pain can interfere with the completion of developmental tasks…

Background: Many emerging disabilities that affect today's rehabilitation consumers are linked to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, substance use, and obesity. Lifestyle-related disabilities have dramatically increased in incidence and prevalence over the past two decades. Rehabilitation counselors play an important role in…

Purpose: To explore exercise experiences and beliefs related to barriers among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Seventy-four participants were recruited from a hospital, an independent living center, and online support groups. The Exercise Experiences and Spinal Cord Injury (EESCI) instrument included three scales to assess…

Background: In exploring the matter of sensory loss and job discrimination, the National EEOC ADA Research Project (NEARP) seeks to answer a singular question. Objective: How do persons with hearing loss (HL) vs. visual loss (VL) experience the nature and scope of workplace discrimination differently, if at all? Methods: The NEARP team uses an ex…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, sometimes progressive chronic illness affecting people in the prime of their working lives. This article reviews the effects of MS on employment based on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model. Correlations between employment and…

Purpose: To examine postsecondary faculty attitudes and actions toward inclusive teaching strategies (ITS) designed to benefit all learners. Method: The Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory is a self-report survey that measures faculty attitudes toward ITS and traditional academic accommodations, as well as their in-class actions. The authors…

This article presents an overview of multiple sclerosis (MS), one of the most common neurological disorders in the western hemisphere. Medical and psychosocial aspects of the disease such as causes and risk factors, diagnosis, incidence and prevalence, symptoms, courses, and treatment are described. Existing research regarding the employment…

Purpose: To examine demographic, functional, and clinical multiple sclerosis (MS) variables affecting employment status in a national sample of adults with MS in the United States. Method: The sample included 4,142 working-age (20-65 years) Americans with MS (79.1% female) who participated in a national survey. The mean age of participants was…

The experience of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can have a profound effect on employment. The impact of MS is a complex interaction of personal, medical, functional, financial, and psychosocial variables that ultimately results in up to 80% of persons with MS leaving their jobs within 10 years of their diagnosis. The aim of this study was to…

Often, the aim of distance learning (DL) is to enhance individual learning, not to change workplace practices. Changing organizational policies, practices and behaviors related to disability calls for a different DL approach that engages users and contextualizes knowledge. In the disability arena, there is a need for programming that brings about…

This paper addresses the topic of assistive technology (AT) to offer a direction for its future role within the rehabilitation profession. A brief overview of the five AT legislative acts to date is provided. Next, future considerations for AT are offered in the context of what we know within the U.S. and global communities followed by the…