Background
Despite the enactment of disability laws/policies in India, research shows that caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities experience inadequate formal ...supports/services due to dissemination barriers and lack of awareness about them. To address discrepancy between caregivers' support needs and the professionals' understanding of their needs, the study proposed to conduct a caregiver needs assessment so that culturally‐tailored programs are developed.
Method
A strengths‐based mixed methods needs assessment was conducted with a convenience sample of 100 caregivers in Hyderabad, India. One hundred caregivers completed the survey and 15 caregivers participated in semi‐structured interviews.
Results
Caregivers needed more and improved formal supports/services, particularly from the government. Caregivers faced systemic and attitudinal barriers, and personal impediments to accessing them. Needs differed by care recipients' intellectual disability level, gender, and intellectual disability related conditions.
Conclusions
Researchers, service providers and policymakers need to adopt innovative strategies to improve formal supports/services access.
Many families of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in India experience difficulty in accessing services/supports, due to lack of awareness/knowledge of disability rights/laws ...and available services, and in accessing the services. There remains insufficient research on the information needs of these caregivers and on designing interventions that aim to increase their awareness/knowledge about human rights and supports/services. A strengths-based mixed methods needs assessment was conducted to understand the information needs of these family caregivers. Results showed that caregivers ≥50 years had significantly higher information needs than younger caregivers. Specifically, caregivers with no proficiency in English needed more information on the available services for the care recipients (n = 100). Qualitative results showed that very few caregivers had any awareness or access to information on human rights, disability-related laws/policies or available supports/services (n = 15). Study findings underscore the government's role in improving awareness-raising initiatives and imparting the information in multiple Indian languages.
This article investigates the effect of disability on progress in the start-up process. One person out of 10 has a disability, yet entrepreneurship literature remains silent on the contributions of ...this population. This is surprising given that people with disabilities are more likely to be self-employed than the general population. Results from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics show that start-up efforts by nascent entrepreneurs with disabilities are less likely to result in the emergence of a viable organization, indicating that nascent entrepreneurs with disabilities face particular challenges.
Background
Social entrepreneurship is a growing trend that reflects a shift in contemporary policy towards entrepreneurship and self‐employment as viable employment option for people with ...disabilities. Entrepreneurship is intended to promote autonomy and reduce dependence on entitlement‐based services as well as reduce employment disparities while stimulating business and job creation.However, it is not well understood what exactly this means for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) involved in social entrepreneurial ventures.
Methods
Dyadic interviews were conducted with people with ID participating in social entrepreneurship (n = 7) as well as with the person they identified as instrumental in providing support (n = 7). Interviews focused on understanding the management processes used by people with ID, or “how they act” in negotiating between formal and informal systems of services and supports and barriers encountered.
Results
Themes that emerged include the main barriers they experienced, how their businesses are organized; and the use of formal and informal services and supports.
Conclusions
This research expands upon our understanding of social entrepreneurship and the management processes involved in customized employment for people with ID. It offers new insights and information for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to inform the expectations we set for entrepreneurship as a sustainable employment option, from the perspective of social entrepreneurs with ID themselves.
The current economic climate demands more innovative approaches to increasing labor market participation for people with disabilities. Social entrepreneurship (SE) offers one alternative employment ...pathway. However, little is known about the broader factors influencing SE for people with disabilities. Using empirical data from focus groups comprised of social entrepreneurs with disabilities and interviews with key stakeholders working in the fields of policy, disability, and business, this research frames its analysis in the intersection of disability studies and entrepreneurship to explore which factors influence the potential for SE to provide equal participation opportunities for people with disabilities in the labor market. Findings suggest that further consideration of political-economic and socio-cultural factors is needed if we are to better understand the potential of SE for people with disabilities.
The development and practice of inclusive research with people with intellectual disabilities is complex, revealing challenges and lessons that inform innovative and novel methodological approaches. ...In Africa, inclusive research still lags for various reasons. First, due to societal misconceptions that portray people with intellectual disabilities as unable to self-advocate or as lacking agency and self-determination; second, due to a lack of trained researchers and ethics committees on inclusive research practices. This paper critically reflects on and discusses the strategies and methods used to conduct an inclusive research study in Kenya. The focus was on the methodological approach of including people with intellectual disabilities as researchers in Kenya. Two people with intellectual disabilities were trained as research assistants. This paper describes the experiences with Institutional Review Boards, the processes and experiences while training this research assistants using a UK-developed curriculum, and fieldwork experiences while piloting interview guides, conducting interviews, and conducting focus groups with this research assistants. This study findings indicate the need to culturally adapt co-researcher training, the importance of working with support personnel who empower researchers with intellectual disabilities, and the need for greater advocacy to change negative attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities that hinder their participation in research.
Social entrepreneurship is a growing trend for people with intellectual disability (ID). This trend reflects a shift in contemporary policy towards entrepreneurship and self-employment as a viable ...employment option for people with disability in general; a strategy which is intended to promote autonomy and reduce dependence on entitlement-based services as well as to reduce employment disparities and stimulate business and job creation. However, it is not well understood what exactly this means for people with ID involved in social entrepreneurial ventures. This research approached the issue by conducting dyadic interviews to explore the motivations of people with ID who are participating and supported in social entrepreneurship--"why they act." In exploring these motivations, this article investigates push-pull factors, the role of the social mission, and how support influences motivation.
Governments continue to face challenges in implementing effective strategies to increase social and economic participation of people with disabilities. In a recent OECD high-level policy forum on ...Sickness, Disability and Work, the main policy message was the need for a culture of inclusion; with a dual focus on short-term active policy interventions and long-term structural reform. This paper examines policies in liberal welfare states that encourage people receiving disability benefits to participate in the labor market. Examples from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia of active labor market programs aimed at moving people with disabilities from workfare are analyzed in the context of international disability rights and neoliberal discourse. The paper explores the extent to which new approaches to activation policies are facilitating parity of participation and factors that impact the effectiveness of these policies.
Purpose/Objective: Entrepreneurship is increasingly emerging as a viable employment option for many people with disabilities. It provides opportunities to develop interests, skills, and passion for ...starting a business. We conducted multiple interviews with various stakeholders to identify the perceived supports and barriers that people with disabilities encounter in the process of pursuing entrepreneurship. Research Method/Design: Individual interviews included 20 entrepreneurs with disabilities, 6 service providers, and 5 school administrators. This qualitative study used a constructivist grounded theory approach to shape the process of data collection, analysis, and theory building. Results: People with disabilities interested in pursuing entrepreneurship benefit from facilitators such as social support, mentoring, and access to space, equipment, and money. Personal qualities include their desire to be "my own boss," help others, earn money, creativity, persistence, and flexibility. On the other hand, they may face several systemic barriers, such as the lack of infrastructure to set up the business, discrimination, lack of formal support from Vocational Rehabilitation counselors or their school settings, and/or lack of money. Conclusions/Implications: The systemic barriers can make it difficult for entrepreneurs to start and/or continue to operate their businesses. We discuss the implications of the findings for the development of entrepreneurship training for youth with disabilities and offer recommendations for future research and practice in the rehabilitation field.
Impact and Implications
Entrepreneurship for people with disabilities is an employment option that could be more widely promoted among vocational rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation agencies could evaluate their existing self-employment programs and use entrepreneurship training curricula to address consumer needs and preferences. The results indicated that social support from family, friends, and other trusted adults was reported to be critical to help them start and operate their own businesses. Currently, there are very few transition preparation programs for youth with disabilities that include entrepreneurship as an option. Transition programs for youth with disabilities could incorporate entrepreneurship training as another employment choice.
Disability legislation acknowledges the right of people with disabilities to participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, but there continue to be significant barriers in ...accessing all aspects of the policymaking process. Advocacy and technology are two core strategies used by the disability community to advance the rights of people with disabilities. Further understanding of how these strategies and tools empower people with disabilities to connect with government is needed. This research seeks to develop and enhance civic knowledge and practices of people with disabilities by conducting civic engagement training and evaluation and examining the role of four disability advocacy organizations. Using qualitative and quantitative data, the research explores the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities in civic society, with a focus on advocacy and technology.
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