Should the vocational quality of people with intellectual disabilities be expected? A study of interviews with employers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/bitara.vol17.1.12.2024Keywords:
vocational quality, people with intellectual disabilities, implicit qualityAbstract
Intellectual disabilities are the most difficult to find employment among all types of disabilities. In the public's mind, they are more in need of protection which also creates the impression that they can’t be independent. However, people with intellectual disabilities also have a desire to work. In this study, a semi-structured interview outline was used to interview six representatives of enterprises that provide jobs for intellectual disabilities, in order to understand their expectations of employees with intellectual disabilities and answer whether intellectual disabilities have the value of work. What are the vocational qualities they should possess for employment?
The results show that: all respondents expressed their understanding and welcome to the employment of people with intellectual disabilities. They also believe that employees with intellectual disabilities are required to have vocational qualities, especially some vocational implicit qualities. The expectations of employees with intellectual disabilities vary from different position of representatives. Based on these findings, the study draws the following conclusions: 1. It is possible for people with intellectual disabilities to find employment to a certain extent.2. Employers have requirements and expectations on the vocational quality of people with intellectual disabilities.3. Compared with the explicit quality of vocational knowledge and skills, the implicit quality of people with intellectual disabilities is more valued by employers. 4. Vocational implicit qualities such as communication ability, emotional control ability, habit of following rules, cooperation awareness, safety awareness are emphasized.5. Vocational education is the most fundamental and effective way to cultivate the vocational quality of students with intellectual disabilities. Short-term psychological interventions are also worth trying.
Downloads
References
Andrews, A., & Rose, J. L. (2010). A Preliminary Investigation of Factors Affecting Employment Motivation in People with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(4), 239–244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-1130.2010.00272.x
Barnes, C. (2011). Understanding disability and the importance of design for all. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v1i1.81
Carulla, L. S., Reed, G. M., Vaez‐Azizi, L. M., Cooper, S., Leal, R. M., Bertelli, M., Adnams, C., Cooray, S., Deb, S., Dirani, L. A., Girimaji, S. C., Katz, G., Kwok, H., Luckasson, R., Simeonsson, R., Walsh, C., Munir, K., & Saxena, S. (2011). Intellectual developmental disorders: Towards a new name, definition and framework for “mental retardation/intellectual disability” in ICD‐11. World Psychiatry, 10(3), 175–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2011.tb00045.x
Ellenkamp, J. J. H., Brouwers, E. P. M., Embregts, P. J. C. M., Joosen, M. C. W., & Van Weeghel, J. (2016). Work Environment-Related Factors in Obtaining and Maintaining Work in a Competitive Employment Setting for Employees with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 26(1), 56–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-015-9586-1
Georgiadou, I., Vlachou, A., & Stavroussi, P. (2022). Quality of life and vocational education service quality in students with intellectual disability. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 68(5), 681–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2021.1887435
Hennessey, R. E., & Goreczny, A. J. (2022). Employment preferences of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: An evaluation of gender and age differences. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 35(3), 878–888. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12992
Holwerda, A., Van Der Klink, J. J. L., De Boer, M. R., Groothoff, J. W., & Brouwer, S. (2013). Predictors of work participation of young adults with mild intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(6), 1982–1990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.03.018
Kang Shibin, & Tang Pei. (2015). An analysis of the concept of professional accomplishment. Journal of Shun de Vocational and Technical College, 13(2), 31-36.
Karhina, K., Ineland, J., & Vikström, L. (2022). Stakeholder views on young adults with intellectual disabilities as a workforce: A qualitative study on students’ performance in upper secondary education and their employment potential. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 26(4), 1057–1074. https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295211026475
Liu, H. (2022). Research on the cultivation of Professional quality of undergraduate level vocational education students. Shanxi Youth, (12), 103-105.
Lysaght, R., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., & Lin, C.-J. (2012). Untapped potential: Perspectives on the employment of people with intellectual disability. Work, 41(4), 409–422. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2012-1318
McClelland, D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for "intelligence". American Psychologist, 28(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034092
McGettrick, B. (2005). Towards a Framework of Professional Teaching Standards: A Response to the Consultative Document" Towards a Framework for Professional Teaching Standards". Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Education escalate.
Merriam-Webster, Inc. (1998). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster.
Morin, D., Rivard, M., Crocker, A. G., Boursier, C. P., & Caron, J. (2013). Public attitudes towards intellectual disability: A multidimensional perspective. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(3), 279–292. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12008
Olson, D., Cioffi, A., Yovanoff, P., & Mank, D. (2001). Employers' perceptions of employees with mental retardation. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 16(2), 125-133.
Rose, J., Saunders, K., Hensel, E., & Kroese, B. S. (2005). Factors affecting the likelihood that people with intellectual disabilities will gain employment. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 9(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629505049725
Schalock, R. L., Luckasson, R., & Tassé, M. J. (2021). An Overview of Intellectual Disability: Definition, Diagnosis, Classification, and Systems of Supports (12th ed.). American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 126(6), 439–442. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-126.6.439
Schalock, R. L., Verdugo, M. A., Jenaro, C., Wang, M., Wehmeyer, M., Jiancheng, X., & Lachapelle, Y. (2005). Cross-cultural study of quality of life indicators. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 110(4), 298-311. https://doi.org/10.1352/0895-8017(2005)110[298:CSOQOL]2.0.CO;2
Shi, W. P., & Kuang, Y. (2018). Forty years of education reform in china: Vocational education. Science Press.
Song. C. L. (2008). The influence of group counseling on the mental health of disabled students. Primary Health Care in China (10),63-64.
Southward, J. D., & Kyzar, K. (2017). Predictors of competitive employment for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 52(1), 26-37. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26420373
Strindlund, L., Abrandt-Dahlgren, M., & Ståhl, C. (2019). Employers’ views on disability, employability, and labor market inclusion: A phenomenographic study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 41(24), 2910–2917. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1481150
Wang K. (2016). Review on the status quo of vocational literacy training for mentally disabled secondary vocational students and countermeasures. Modern Special Education, (5), 24-26.
Zhang, Y., & Kway, H. E. (2023). Can people with intellectual disabilities not be good employees? A survey on psychological capital of students with intellectual disabilities in secondary vocational schools. South Asian Journal of Social Science & Humanities, 4(4), 164–176. https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2023.4409
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Zhang Yi, Kway Eng Hock, Grace Annammal Gnana Piragasam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
