A national demonstration project, Training and Placement Service, has placed more than 6,500 people with epilepsy in jobs. The approach features support by local affiliates of the Epilepsy Foundation of America, job preparation, technical training, and employer cooperation. (CL)

The authors explore the effects of labels and employers' hiring decision making in relation to placement of handicapped persons. Eleven job placement practices (such as matching the client to the job and addressing employers' objectives) are outlined. (SW)

Factors (planning, relevance, involvement, follow-up, and compromise) influencing the commitment of an employer to developing jobs for handicapped persons are reviewed and conceptualized in the Employer Interaction Process. (CL)

The study identified skills and skill categories deemed most relevant to job success by employers of people with severe handicaps (N=22) and employers with no such experience (N=24). Employers experienced with the disabled deemed the personal factor category as very important while in-experienced employers ranked the personal factor category the…

A survey of 109 high school transition programs and 55 adult supported employment programs found that of 7,553 job placements for youth and adults with disabilities, the most frequent category was in food and beverage preparation services. Emerging markets for job placements included tourism and casino jobs. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The authors advocate a supported work approach for disabled youth which features four components: (1) job placement, (2) job site training and advocacy, (3) ongoing assessment, and (4) follow-along and transition. Logistical considerations of such an approach in the public schools are explored, including transportation, community-referenced…

Study of a sample of 93 individuals with disabilities participating in supported employment programs in Connecticut found that monthly wages and levels of integration increased significantly when compared to working situations prior to supported employment placement. (JDD)

Forty-nine job developers were interviewed to identify the techniques and approaches used in successful job development for individuals with developmental disabilities. The interviews addressed such topics as the source and number of employer contacts, "opening lines" to employers, mention of disability, negotiations, interviews with job seekers,…

A mentally handicapped woman's experiences in making the transition from school to work are described by her mother. Discussed are the National Employment and Training Program, job search, and job training. The mother's concerns about transportation, informed consent, employers' expectations, co-workers' views, and jobs in fast food restaurants…

The article describes Project M.E.A.L.(Model for Employment and Adult Living) in Phoenix, Arizona, designed to move unemployed young learning disabled adults recently out of school to employment and community living. Training and support services link clients with available community training or education programs and sustained employment in…

The study involving 68 special education directors was conducted to determine what characteristics and abilities were considered by work-study coordinators to be important for successful on-the-job training (OJT) and to explore the relative merits of various tactics suggested for vocational placement of the mildly retarded in OJT programs. (SBH)

The Vocational Education to Work model is a system of communication and support between vocational and special educators, designed to train students with disabilities in mainstreamed vocational education. The model's four sequential components include active recruitment, guided placement, continuing support, and job placement followup.…

Forty-four urban young adults with mental retardation participated in an employment training program which assessed trainees' interests and abilities and taught them self-evaluation, negotiation, occupational skills, and employability behaviors. Thirty-five completed training; 94% became competitively employed. Gender, residence, race,…

The "Bridges...From School to Work" project, funded at five sites by the Marriott Corporation, develops competitively paid internships for students with disabilities in their final year of high school. Of 762 students accepted by the program, 86% received internship placements, 82% completed their internships, and 75% were offered…

This article describes the Bay Area Personnel System, a consultative resource program which provides supported employment services for individuals with dual sensory impairments (and often severe mental retardation). A case study details a specific instructional mobility program, focusing on job tasks at a pizza restaurant and instructional…