In rural areas, transition planning for young adults with disabilities presents considerable challenges, including linkage to employment upon completion of special education services. Two assessment programs, described in this article, work in concert to assist transition teachers and youth with disabilities in rural areas and include: (a)…

Provides background on the job club process and how it can be used for integrated training of special needs and regular education students in need of job search assistance. Includes field test project information. (JOW)

This brief shares stories about how three students with disabilities used networking and mentoring to become interested in or learn more about a line of work, or even to find jobs. The students represented different high school grade levels and had a wide range of disabilities including learning, cognitive, physical or health-related, sensory,…

Compared the Job Club method with an alternative method, using clients who had job-finding problems, such as physical, emotional, intellectual, and social handicaps, or long-term unemployment. Results suggest that virtually all handicapped or "hard-core" unemployed persons can obtain and retain a job under an intensive Job Club program.…

This issue brief describes the outcomes of a study conducted by the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) that investigated the effectiveness of a training workshop on using a networking approach to job development for people with disabilities. The two-day workshop focused on teaching how to identify and use connections such as family members,…

This packet of materials contains the pieces needed to create brochures, flyers, and handouts to market the abilities of persons with disabilities to potential employers. A "how to" section includes a glossary, instructions for reproducing brochures, tips for working with the media, and ideas and suggestions for using the videocassette,…

Baltimore's Job Squad is a placement alternative that motivates the handicapped person to improve independent job-seeking skills through the teamwork of counselors, peers, and community resources. Job Squad's background, support system, organization, positive results, and future implications as a valuable placement technique are discussed. (Author)

Staff (N=369) and consumers (N=191) from a national sample of community vocational rehabilitation providers and independent living centers were surveyed concerning effective job search practices. Consumers were also asked to report on job satisfaction, job search support, and how the obtained job equated with job preferences. The majority of…

The Special Education Parents Alliance created an employment project seeking jobs in the business community for special education graduates and other persons with disabilities. The project serves learning disabled, educable mentally handicapped, trainable mentally handicapped, and physically disabled persons in DuPage County and portions of west…

This manual provides training information for implementing supported employment by using a customer-driven approach. Chapter 1, "Supported Employment: A Customer-Driven Approach" (Valerie Brooke and others), describes current best practices, a new customer-driven approach to supported employment, and the role of the employment specialist. Chapter…

The Santa Fe Community College Work Exploration Center (Florida) provides work evaluation and placement services to persons who are unable to obtain or maintain suitable employment due to handicapping conditions, undefined or poorly defined vocational training, limited employment skills, and limited knowledge of skills levels. To help maintain…

The demonstration project described in this report was designed to explore the value of job clubs in preparing two-year college students with disabilities for the transition from school to work. The demonstration sites were Chicago City-Wide College (CCC), Columbus Technical Institute (CTI) (Ohio), and the Community Colleges of Rhode Island (CCRI)…

The Career Assessment and Placement Center is a school-to-adult-life transition program which provides vocational and independent living services to individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. A set of five manuals was prepared to assist in developing services similar to those provided by the Center. The "Operations"…

This trainer's manual is designed to enable trainers to provide information about the use of personal connections in the development of networks leading to employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. Detailed information is provided for a 2-day workshop that focuses on the importance of using networks, the benefits of using personal…

This fact sheet is designed to be a resource for disabled students themselves and for counselors, administrators, and instructors who are involved in career planning and placement strategies for disabled persons in postsecondary academic and technical institutions. The fact sheet is organized into five sections. The Selected Campus Strategies…