Recently, consensus among researchers and professionals has emerged about factors that contribute to postschool success of youth with disabilities. Prominent among these factors are targeted academic preparation, family involvement, youth empowerment, and service collaboration and linkages. Work experience and paid employment have been identified…

This literature review discusses supported employment as one aspect of the transitional linkage between school and work that can augment the quality of life for individuals with moderate and severe disabilities. It then focuses on job matching, one aspect of supported employment training programs within public school settings, with an emphasis on…

This guide was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide students with information about potential environmental careers with the agency. The brochure presents an overview of the EPA and its efforts to preserve the environment; and describes environmental public service careers, in general, and how scientists, engineers,…

The Skyline Vocational Training Project (Great Falls, Montana) is a vocational skills training model that prepares mildly disabled students to become competitively employed in locally-referenced entry-level occupations, while the High-Visibility Low-Incidence Model of Supported Employment is designed for severely disabled students who are unlikely…

Project WorkAbility is a California program serving special education secondary and postsecondary students. The model design for WorkAbility is based on well-known transition models and contains components common to those models. The design views transition as both a process and a product, supports interagency cooperation and collaboration, and…

This article describes available benefits and work incentives affecting supported employment placement for students with severe disabilities, including payment for necessary supports (state programs and the Department of Labor), protection of benefits (Social Security programs), and incentives to employers (the Targeted Job Tax Credits program and…

This paper describes the planning of a qualitative research methodology to develop strategies to improve and expand social interaction skills of deaf-blind students in supported employment settings. Characteristics of qualitative research are delineated and include: definition of the domain of the research; an evolving study design; behavior…

An evaluation was conducted of the first year (1990-91) of Project HIRE (Hiring into Rewarding Employment). Project HIRE was a 3-year federally-funded project designed to assist students with disabilities to gain and retain meaningful employment by maintaining secondary support services until this transition is completed successfully. During the…

The successful transition of developmentally disabled persons from school to employment, often supported employment, involves changing the attitudes of both families and businesses. Contacts on state committees on employment of the handicapped are listed as are seven model supported work and school to work transition programs. (DB)

This article discusses self-employment as an employment option for individuals who are blind. Analysis of trends indicates the total number of facility managers who are blind in the Randolph-Sheppard Program declined from 3,524 in 1994 to 2,711 in FY 2001 and that self-employment outcomes typically cost less than competitive outcomes. (Contains…

This vocational program book is intended to assist vocational rehabilitation counselors in moving toward the goal of community employment for people with autism. The first section considers vocational issues for this population and discusses the following: autism and work, educational experiences/programming, vocational evaluations, purposes of…

This paper describes transitional programs developed by Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC) to meet the needs of disabled students in rural areas. In cooperation with other public and private agencies, BHSSC provides comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services and community living programs to help individuals with severe…

These profiles of Minnesota individuals with severe disabilities were developed as part of an evaluation of the impact of supported employment on their lives. The profiles describe individuals who have severe disabilities, who receive assistance from a wide variety of programs, and who were evaluated through both qualitative and quantitative…

This bibliography provides information on resources available for parent training about supported employment and transition of individuals with disabilities. The annotated bibliography includes journal articles, manuscripts, books, and audiovisual materials. The resources are organized into the following categories: (1) parental involvement (17…

Supported employment opportunities can help to meet the transition needs of individuals enrolled in special education programs. A review of related literature discusses characteristics of supported employment program participants, the need for individual transition planning, the school's role and responsibility, vocational planning, benefits,…