Negotiating the Landscape: The Path to Employment for Individuals with Disabilities in the TANF System.
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| Title: | Negotiating the Landscape: The Path to Employment for Individuals with Disabilities in the TANF System. |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Timmons, Jaimie Ciulla, Foley, Susan, Whitney-Thomas, Jean, Green, Joseph, Casey, Judi, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Inst. for Community Inclusion. |
| Availability: | Institute for Community Inclusion, Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115; Tel: 617-355-6506; Tel: 617-355-6956 (TTY); Fax: 617-355-7940; e-mail: ici@a1.tch.harvard.edu; Web site: http://www.childrenshospital.org/ici ($10, order no. MON24). |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 45 |
| Publication Date: | 1999 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC. |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Adults, Day Care, Disabilities, Disability Discrimination, Employer Attitudes, Employer Employee Relationship, Employment Services, Focus Groups, Interviews, Job Placement, Welfare Recipients, Welfare Reform, Welfare Services |
| Geographic Terms: | Massachusetts, Wisconsin |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families |
| Abstract: | This report discusses the outcomes of a study that examined the impact of welfare reform on individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. New welfare reforms required individuals to develop marketable skills and acceptable work behaviors and move along a path to employment. For individuals with disabilities in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) system, the path can be complicated by substantial barriers and insufficient transitional supports. Analysis of interview and focus group transcripts from 11 individuals receiving welfare who either have a disability themselves or care for a family member with a disability, 6 welfare agency caseworkers, 5 disability and welfare rights advocates, and 4 employers defined a five-step path to work through the welfare system. Findings suggest a number of significant roadblocks were encountered on this path to work. Individuals with disabilities experienced some of the same roadblocks as the general population receiving welfare benefits, including the ongoing conflict between work and family, and challenges to building rapport in the individual/caseworker relationship. Several participants also described losing jobs due to disability and health issues and a lack of job accommodations. Others described the difficulties in finding child care that accommodates their children's disabilities. Issues in the disability determination process arose for both case workers and individuals applying for welfare benefits. The need for greater access and education, placement into jobs with better long-term prospects, employer and peer support, and increased disability awareness is urged. (CR) |
| Entry Date: | 2000 |
| Accession Number: | ED432874 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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