title: An ecological approach to understanding barriers to employment for youth with disabilities compared to their typically developing peers: views of youth, employers, and job counselors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which youth with physical disabilities encounter different barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study draws on 50 qualitative in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 31 youth (16 typically developing and 15 with a disability), and youth employers and job counselors knowledgeable about employment readiness among adolescents (n = 19). We utilize Bronfrebrenner's ecological framework to reveal the complex web of factors shaping youth's labor market outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only half of youth with a disability were working or looking for work compared to their peers. The findings show this was a result of different expectations of, and attitudes toward, youth with disabilities. For many youth with a disability, their peers, family and social networks often acted as a barrier to getting a job. Many youth also lacked independence and life skills that are needed to get a job (i.e. self-care and navigating public transportation) compared to their peers. Job counselors focused on linking youth to employers and mediating parental concerns. Employers appeared to have weaker links to youth with disabilities. System level barriers included lack of funding and policies to enhance disability awareness among employers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Youth with physical disabilities encounter some similar barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers but in a stronger way. Barriers to employment exist at several levels including individual, sociostructural and environmental. The results highlight that although there are several barriers to employment for young people at the microsystem level, they are linked with larger social and environmental barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians working with youth should promote the development of skills that can lead to improved self-confidence and communication skills for youth. Encourage the development of extracurricular activities and social networking to build these skills and to make contacts for finding employment. Clinicians should support youth with disabilities and their parents in practicing independence skills (such as self-care, self-advocacy and navigating public transportation) they need prior to seeking employment. Vocational rehabilitation professionals should educate youth on how to disclose their condition to a potential employer, how to ask for ask for accommodations and how to market their abilities. Clinicians should help to link youth with disabilities to volunteer opportunities and to employers. Advocate for disability awareness training for employers regarding how to accommodate people with disabilities and the potential they offer in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto, Ontario , Canada .
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McDougall
authors.forename: Dolly
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menna-Dack
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D063506:Ageism; D001290:Attitude; D003376:Counseling; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012648:Self Care; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent; disability; employment; life skills; vocational rehabilitation