Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired:

Bybee, J., Cavenaugh, B., Crudden, A., Giesen, J.M., LeJeune, B.J., McDonnall, M.C., O’Mally, J. & Uslan, M.

AER International Conference 2012

An Overview of Six Research Projects

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Overview National Institute on Disability and

Rehabilitation Research • 2010-2015 Rehabilitation

Research and Training Center (RRTC) Grant• Funds 6 research projects on improving employment outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired

• Training & Technical Assistance

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Six Research Projects

1. A Customized Transportation Intervention

2. Employment Mentoring for College Students

3. VR Agency-Employer Interactions

4. Best Practices in the Randolph-Sheppard Program

5. Employment Outcomes of SSDI Beneficiaries

6. Accessibility in the Workplace

Goal of 6 Projects

Improve competitive employment outcomes and employment success for individuals who are blind or visually impaired by developing and evaluating new and existing employment interventions and practices.

A Customized Transportation Intervention

Presenter: Jamie O’MallyContributor: Adele Crudden

Project 1

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Overview

Address barriers to employment related to transportation

Conducted in conjunction with Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)

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Transportation Goals

Identify transportation to work options Assist consumers in identifying and

accessing transportation options Evaluate success of service delivery

model Develop model for potential replication

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Customized Transportation

Based on concepts from:• Customized

employment• Problem solving

therapy• Case management

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Customized Approach

Provides individual assistance to locate transportation options for persons seeking or having employment

Provides information to consumers about how to locate and access transportation in their home community

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Procedure

VR counselor refers to MSU MSU conducts pretest/screening via

phone MSU assigns consumer to the

intervention group or the comparison group

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Group Assignment in Alabama

Intervention

Comparison

Split County

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Transportation Services

Comparison group receives• Gift card• Handbook in preferred

format Intervention group receives

• Individualized services

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Transportation Services

Transportation Coordinator meets consumer in home and together they develop transportation plan

Jointly explore options to find and secure most feasible options

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Transportation Project

Currently two coordinators for AL Targeted sample of 64 persons Data collection through December

2012. Referral base smaller than

anticipated

Employment Mentoring Intervention

for College Students

Project 2

Presenter: Jamie O’Mally

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Overview

Employment Climate Importance of Mentors Current Study

• Participants• Benefits• Procedure

• Mentoring Relationship• Required Discussions

Update Recruitment

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Employment Climate Degree = JOB… right??

• Employment at historic lows• Employment for Youth with B/VI

• Difficulty finding employment despite highest rate of postsecondary attendance among youth with disabilities.

• 72.6% without disabilities• 38.2% with VI (only ~1/3 full time)

Importance of Mentors

Mentors help develop skills, provide information, increase student motivation, and offer networking and job shadowing opportunities.

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Current Study

Does working closely with a mentor improve postgraduate employment outcomes for college students who are legally blind?

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Participants All participants must be legally blind, living in

the U.S. and able to access online materials. College or Grad Students

• Under age 35• Graduating Jan 2013-Dec 2014• Planning to seek employment after college

Professionals• Currently employed or recently retired

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Benefits

One-on-one interactions Incentives for students Access to career materials Assist with research that

seeks to benefit college grads who are blind

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Procedure

Random Assignment Mentor Matching Orientation Introductions Mentor Manual Measures & Reports

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Mentor Relationship

Participate for one year Matched by location and career 3 hours a month face-to-face Biweekly contact Online activity reports Discussions & activities Job shadowing

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Mentoring Manual Accommodation planning Blindness and low vision skills Disclosure Social skills Transportation Transfer of technology skills Career counseling Job shadowing Job seeking skills Job placement assistance

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Recruitment Sign up through DEC 2013 Students start based on grad date

between JAN 2013-DEC 2014 http://tiny.cc/mentoring-project Tell people!!

VR Agency-Employer Interactions

Project 3

Presenter: Michele McDonnall

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Overview Employer’s negative attitudes = major barrier to

employment Different approaches to interactions with employers Is the way the VR agency interacts with employers

associated with employer attitudes and employment outcomes for consumers?• Will identify employer interaction practices that

are most associated with employment outcomes • Will also collect information about employers’

knowledge about how people who are B/VI can perform specific job tasks, and their attitudes towards employing people who are B/VI

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VR Agency-Employer Interactions

This project consists of four major research activities, culminating in the development of evidence-based practice guidelines. It is broken into three sub-projects: • Project 1: VR Agency Surveys• Project 2: Evaluation of Existing Practices

• RSA-911 Analyses• Employer Surveys

• Project 3: Development of Guidelines

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VR Agency Surveys Purpose – to determine what practices agencies are

using to interact with employers and to measure the emphasis placed by agencies on these practices

Two surveys have been developed and conducted:• with administrators of all VR agencies that

serve consumers who are B/VI (separate and combined agencies)

• with employment specialist staff and/or rehabilitation counselors of these same agencies

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VR Agency Surveys Results from the surveys are being used for two

purposes, associated with the sub-project 2: • to combine with RSA-911 data to evaluate the

impact of the practices on employment outcomes for consumers

• selection of states for the employer surveys (based on their reported emphasis on and types of employer interactions)

Status: Surveys have been administered, data have been analyzed, and one descriptive article is in preparation. An additional article is planned.

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RSA-911 Analyses

Will allow us to evaluate the impact VR agency-employer interaction practices have on the employment outcomes of their consumers

Two outcome variables: employment (or not) and earnings

Predictor variables will be taken from the VR survey; control variables from the 911 data and state economic indicators

Status: Data preparation is ongoing; analyses will be conducted later this year.

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Employer Surveys Telephone surveys of employers (businesses) in

selected states will be conducted to determine: • their knowledge about how persons with B/VI can

perform some specific job functions• their attitudes towards persons who are B/VI as

employees The knowledge survey will consist of questions about

how persons who are B/VI perform job tasks, such as accessing a computer or pre-printed material.

Status: The instrument to be used has been developed, pilot tested, and refined. States to conduct the surveys have been identified.

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Development of Guidelines

Results from the analyses conducted in sub-project 2 will provide the basis for evidence-based practice guidelines for VR agencies.

In addition to the statistical results, interviews will be conducted with VR agency personnel in states using effective interaction methods and with employers.

The guidelines will serve as a handbook that will guide VR agencies serving people who are B/VI on best practices for establishing effective relationships with employers.

Best Practices in the Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program

Project 4

Presenter: Jacqui BybeeContributor: Brenda Cavenaugh

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Overview

Six objectives & nine outputs/products Identification of best practices and

development of training and marketing materials

Special emphasis on deaf-blind and transition-age individuals

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Project Objectives

1. Identification and evaluation of the knowledge and skills needed by state VR agency staff to improve/enhance services provided

2. Identification and evaluation of best practices in recruitment, initial training, and retention of individuals with dual sensory impairments

3. Identification and evaluation of best practices in recruitment of transition-age youth and young adults

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Project Objectives

4. Identification of knowledge and skills needed by R-S facility managers to effectively operate facilities

5. Identification of minimum and preferred competencies needed by VR consumers for entry into the R-S program

6. Identification of preferred performance standards (e.g., gross, net profit) for R-S facility types (e.g., vending route, convenience store, snack bar, cafeteria)

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General Data Sources• Data from state directors• Data from other SLA staff and selected vendors• Terry Smith, Expert Consultant• Collected materials, interviews, and information from

state agencies• NRTC-produced materials• Peer-reviewed publications and other related literature• Focus groups • Site visits• R-S related and branded franchise websites• Dan Frye, R-S Program Specialist, RSA• Beth Jordan, HKNC Regional Representative

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Informational Brochure Product 1

• Information about R-S Program for legislatures, state agencies, and the general public

• Will be available for download from our website, August 2012: http://www.blind.msstate.edu

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Deaf-Blind Component

Products 2 & 3• Identification of Best Practices

• Interviews will be conducted with state directors, business counselors, and training staff who work with deaf-blind vendors

• Deaf-blind vendors will also be interviewed

• Video Vignettes of Deaf-Blind Vendors

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Online Training Curriculum Product 4

• 8 to 10 modules• Basic Orientation to Blindness• The R-S Act• VR Process• Active Participation• Marketing the Program• Supervising Facilities• Implementing Business Practices

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Standards for Vendors Product 5

• Competencies for entry into the program

• Performance standards once licensed

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Transition-Aged Component Products 6 & 7

• “How-to” guide and marketing glossy for recruiting transition-age youth and young adults (18-35) into R-S program• Emphasis on enhancing the image

and appeal of the program• Video vignettes of transition-aged

individuals

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Publications and Presentations Products 8 & 9

• Peer-reviewed and consumer publications• Results of survey data from BEP state

directors• Expected completion: Fall 2012

• Peer-reviewed and invited presentations• Annual BEP-MS meeting – September 2012,

Jackson, MS• BLAST – May 2013, Indianapolis, IN

Employment Outcomes of

SSDI Beneficiaries

Project 5

Presenter: Michele McDonnallContributor: J.M. Giesen

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Background

Why SSDI Beneficiaries?• $100 billion annual federal cost for

Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries

• >$2.6 billion spent for state-federal VR employment services

• >25% are SSA beneficiaries

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Background

Why SSDI Beneficiaries?• ~ 1/3 of VR consumers who are

legally blind are SSDI recipients (2008 data)

• Population is at greater risk for poor employment outcomes

Both VR and SSA want to improve employment outcomes for this population!

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Objectives

What factors are associated with employment outcomes for SSDI beneficiaries?

Using RSA-911 national data Identify

• Facilitators • e.g., better for younger consumers ?

• Risk factors• Female? Race/ethnicity?

• What works• Best combination of services

• Recommendations for practice and policy

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Multi-level Approach Utilizing a multi-level research approach to

individual-level employment outcomes• Individual-level factors studied before• State/agency factors studied before for

agency outcomes Multi-level approach lets state/agency and

individual-level factors be assessed together • How they both affect individual

consumer employment outcomes

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Multi-level Influences

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State/Agency

Consumer

CompetitiveEmployment

Age, gender,Education,Work history,Disability,Services

Unemployment rate,State economics,Agency structure

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Multi-level Influences

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State/Agency

Consumer

CompetitiveEmployment

Age, Gender,Education,Work history,Disability,Services

Unemployment rate,State economics,Agency structure

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Multi-level Influences

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State/Agency

Consumer

CompetitiveEmployment

Age, gender,Education,Work history,Disability,Services

Unemployment rate,State economics,Agency structure

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Multi-level Influences

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State/Agency

Consumer

CompetitiveEmployment

Age, gender,Education,Work history,Disability,Services

Unemployment rate,State economics,Agency structure

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Project Status Acquiring and processing state/agency

and individual data State/agency level

• state unemployment and poverty rates, state population, VR agency structure (Blind vs. General or Combined)

Individual level• demographic, socioeconomic, and

disability factors

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Preliminary Results Outcome = competitive employment Preliminary findings…

• somewhat reduced overall by state unemployment rate

• enhanced by • more education • having personal earnings at application • amount of SSDI at application

• reduced for older applicants & Asian consumers (which is mitigated by agency structure)

• but not African American or other race/ethnicity

Accessibility in the Modern Workplace

Project 6

Presenter: Mark UslanAmerican Foundation for the Blind

Overview

Five year project to evaluate the accessibility of office equipment through• Surveying Users• Heuristic Analyses• Usability Studies

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Importance of the Problem

Over 78% of adults with vision loss are not employed*

A great deal of office equipment is inaccessible• Multifunctional

Document Centers (MDCs)

• Voice over IP (VoIP) Systems

*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Survey of MDC Users

26 blind and 34 low vision responses Key Findings

• The key barriers to accessibility were: Low Display Contrast, Small Fonts, and a lack of Speech Output

• None of the users were aware of currently existing accessibility solutions

Results of the survey are published in the July issue of AccessWorld

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Analysis of MDCs

Canon, Xerox, Lexmark, and Ricoh all offer Accessibility Solutions

The accessibility of each solution will be evaluated through:• Ease of Use• Functionality• Display Quality

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Floor Models Canon – Image runner Advance C5030 Lexmark – XS658DE Xerox – Workcentre 7525 Ricoh – Aficio MP 4001

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Desk Top Lexmark – X548

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User Study

Ten blind and low vision users

Results will determine the usability of the Accessibility Solutions

Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed Journal

Presenter: B.J. LeJeune

Training and Technical Assistance

NIDRR Research Projects

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Training: Knowledge Translation Activities

Research 1: Transportation:• Customized Transportation Model

Curriculum• Customized Transportation Webinar

Research 2: Mentoring• Employment Mentoring Webinar

Research 3: Employer • VR-Employer Interaction Webinar

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Project Based Training Research 5: SSDI Recipients

• Webinar Based on Research Outcomes Research 6: Accessible Office Machinery

• Accessibility of Multi-Functional Document Centers – Webinar• Accessibility and use of VoIP Systems -

Webinar

Randolph-Sheppard Project Training Opportunities

Managing the Randolph-Sheppard Project: An Introduction to Business Management • updates to an existing on-line course• Integration of new information

Successfully Integrating Emerging Trends in in Food Service, Healthy Vending and Franchising

Effectively Integrating Individuals with Hearing and Vision Loss into the

Business Enterprise Program

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State of the Science 2014 Opportunity to share results of NRTC

research and showcase other related research.

Conference to be held in Fall of 2014 likely in the DC area. Watch for information!

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State In-Service Training Two per year with shared costs First 2 Years

• Massachusetts (2)• Kentucky• Mississippi (2)• New Jersey

Anne Sullivan Macy Fellow Li Zhou, Ed.D. Post-Doctoral Fellowship  Originally from Beijing,

China Ed.D. in Special Education

(VI) at Texas Tech University

His current research is focused on developing a math tool for general education teachers to communicate more effectively with their braille students.

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TACE Collaborations Southeast Region IV Northwest Region X

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National Technical Assistance Center (N-TAC – B/VI)

Special Areas for • Employers• Consumers• Service Providers

Updated Information and Resource Referral Links

Transition Resources

Opportunities for on-line training• Medical Aspects• How to read an Eye

Report• Placement of Older

Adults who are B/VI • TBI• Adjustment

Counseling Strategies• And Others

Coming this Fall!

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Interested in Participating?

Participant Registry for Blindness & Low Vision Research

Benefits:• Find out about projects that apply to YOU• Participate in research that seeks to benefit

consumers• Minimal contact• Takes less than 10 minutes• Option to receive NRTC newsletter• No obligation

Sign up! http://tiny.cc/participant-registry

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For More Information

NRTC website: http://blind.msstate.edu Email: nrtc@colled.msstate.edu Call: 662-325-2001 or 800-675-7782

www.facebook.com/msu.rrtc