Affiliation:
1. Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obtaining and retaining employment for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) is frequently a greater challenge than it is for the non-SCI population. It is particularly difficult during COVID-19 because all the barriers to employment are compounded for people with SCI as they have to take extra precaution to protect their health and wellbeing. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to understand how isolation related to COVID-19 has had an effect on the employment experiences for persons living with SCI. METHODS: Three virtual focus groups were conducted with Kentuckians who had SCI. RESULTS: The major themes were: the impact of disruption in routine on physical and mental health, importance of having the right accommodations, working from home as an accommodation, and the uncertainty of work. CONCLUSIONS: Accommodations are a critical component for people with SCI to be retained in the workforce. Employers should be proactive in offering various inclusive and accessible accommodations to employees so that people do not have to bear the additional burden of asking for accommodations. Rehabilitation professionals would serve the SCI population well by finding ways to help clients better advocate for themselves, provide adaptive home therapeutic equipment, and help identify diverse employment skill sets.
Subject
Occupational Therapy,Rehabilitation
Reference9 articles.
1. Qualitative research as the cornerstone methodology for understanding leadership;Conger,;The Leadership Quarterly,1998
2. Work Integration Social Enterprises in the United States: Operating at the Nexus of Public Policy, Markets, and Community;Cooney,;Nonprofit Policy Forum,2016
3. The focus group interview: Rising to the challenge in qualitative research methodology;Ho,;Australian Review of Applied Linguistics,2006
4. Three approaches to qualitative content analysis;Hsieh;Qualitative Health Research,2005
5. Barriers and facilitators to employment: As reported by individuals with spinal cord injuries;Inge,;Journal of Rehabilitation,2018
Cited by
8 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献