Perspectives of people with disabilities on employment, vocational rehabilitation, and the Ticket to Work program

This qualitative study explored the employment, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and Ticket to Work (TTW) experiences of people with disabilities. Twelve focus groups were conducted with 74 working-age adults from ethnically diverse backgrounds and with various disabilities. Major barriers to employment were negative employer attitudes toward hiring workers with disabilities, lack of or unreliable transportation to and from job sites, and insufficient levels of formal education to compete successfully within the labor market. Regarding VR, participants expressed concerns with counselors, who they perceived as unresponsive and non-collaborative. Although there was general awareness of the TTW program, accurate knowledge and utilization of the program were quite limited. Of those reporting TTW awareness, over one-third feared that participating in the program would result in the loss of existing medical and cash benefits. Findings indicate that people with disabilities continue to experience significant barriers related to employment. As employment initiatives are developed and implemented, the voice of the disability community should be considered to help shape and improve these initiatives.