Facilitators and barriers of employment among transition-age Hispanic youth with disabilities

• Published in: Journal of vocational rehabilitation Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 191 - 206
• Main Authors: Castruita Rios, Yazmin, Lee, Beatrice, Umucu, Emre, Estala-Gutiérrez, Veronica, Kim, Jaeyoung, Tansey, Timothy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2023
• Subjects: disabilities; vocational rehabilitation; Transition-age youth; employment outcomes; Hispanic
• ISSN: 1052-2263; 1878-6316
• DOI: 10.3233/JVR-230037

BACKGROUND: Prior research has examined the associations between demographic variables and employment outcomes in transition-age youth with disabilities, yet little is known about the supports and services that provide pathways to employment among transition-age Hispanic youth with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to identify variables associated with employment for transition-age Hispanic youth VR participants. Among them, demographic factors, barriers to employment, services associated with exiting in competitive integrated employment and associated weekly earnings. METHODS: We used descriptive analysis to examine the demographic characteristics of the study’s sample. Variables were then dichotomized, except for age at application, to be analyzed via logistic regression and a stepwise forward regression analysis was performed to assess the association between different levels of independent variables and selected dependent variables. RESULTS: Findings were consistent with previous findings examining the relationships between sociodemographic variables, vocational rehabilitation (VR) related variables, and employment outcomes in transition-age youth with disabilities. Our findings revealed that there are several positive and negative sociodemographic and VR-related variables associated with employment and weekly earnings for transition-age Hispanic youth VR participants. CONCLUSION: Besides supporting transition-age Hispanic youth with disabilities, understanding familial perspectives and needs would also be critical in facilitating a successful employment experience.