Determining the effectiveness of thresholds,an intervention to enhance the career development of young people with physical disabilities

Abstract

People with disabilities have lower work force participation rates than the general public. One factor that has been attributed to this is a lack of vocational programs for adolescents with disabilities. Thresholds is a vocational program designed to enhance the career development strategies of adolescents with physical disabilities. In a three-part series, participants reflect on who they are, clarify their career future and explore the world of work, and test out strategies for investigating career opportunities and addressing obstacles to career success. Following pilot testing, Thresholds was field tested with two groups of adolescents in two urban centres in Canada. Findings suggested that this program could enhance the vocational decision-making abilities and self-appraisal skills of participants. Entry level characteristics of participants were critical in determining the extent of change. Feedback encouraged modifications to make the program more useful and effective.