Introduction Given the low rate of closure of cases for employment, the study presented here analyzed the characteristics of consumers and services that predict competitive employment for youths with visual impairments who are making the transition from secondary education to employment in the vocation rehabilitation program. Methods Using data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration on 2,282 consumers aged 22 or younger whose cases were closed after they received services, we conducted descriptive and logistic regression analyses to determine which client and service factors predicted competitive employment. Results Gender; race; education; disability; the severity of visual impairment, receipt of Supplemental Security Income, earnings at the time of application, which are indicative of early work experiences; and four of five service clusters were significantly related to employment outcomes. Discussion This research provided new knowledge regarding influences, “risk factors,” and predictors of competitive employment—what works—for youths with visual impairments. Implications for practitioners We make recommendations for the provision of vocational rehabilitation services, transition programs, policy regarding groups “at-risk” for poor employment outcomes, and future research.

Introduction Given mutual concerns of vocational rehabilitation and the Social Security Administration, our purpose was to evaluate the effect of current individual and economic factors on competitive employment for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries with visual impairments in vocational rehabilitation. Methods Using fiscal year 2010 RSA-911 data on 4,478 SSDI beneficiaries whose vocational rehabilitation services had concluded, we conducted descriptive and multilevel analyses to determine which client and state or agency factors predicted competitive employment. Results Unemployment rate, gender, age, race, disability, severity of visual impairment, education, prior earnings, SSDI amount, and interactive effects of agency structure were significantly related to competitive employment. Discussion This research provided new knowledge of state or agency influences, risk factors, advantages, and compensatory effects of services in blind agencies, and underscored the importance of prior work experience in achieving competitive employment for SSDI-beneficiary consumers. Implications for practitioners Recommendations related to vocational rehabilitation services to SSDI beneficiaries, policy regarding agency structure, and future research are made.

The effect of parental involvement on achievement has received a significant amount of research attention in the general student population, but surprisingly very little research has been conducted in this area for students with disabilities. This study investigated the association between parental involvement (both at home and at school) and mathematics achievement for students with visual impairments. The samples used for the study (N = 341 and N = 324) were taken from the nationally representative Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study. Multilevel modeling for longitudinal data was used to investigate the research questions. Parental involvement at school was positively associated with mathematics achievement for students who began the study in elementary school, and parental involvement at home was negatively associated with mathematics achievement for students without a cognitive disability. However, there was a strong positive association between mathematics achievement and parental involvement at home for students who also had a cognitive disability.

Introduction The purpose of the study presented here was to identify and synthesize studies of transition interventions to improve the employability and employment outcomes for youths with visual impairments. Methods An a priori protocol was followed in conducting a systematic review of the literature, including criteria for selecting studies, search strategies, and a synthesis of findings. Results Fifteen studies of interventions to improve the employability of youths with visual impairments were identified. Four studies used two-group designs with control or comparison groups, four used single-subject, multiple-baseline designs, and seven used single-group designs (no control or comparison groups). Of the four two-group designs, two reported statistically significant relationships between the transition intervention and factors related to employment. A meta-synthesis indicated the efficacy of several interventions to improve the career-awareness, job-seeking, independent-living, and social skills of the participants. Discussion Interventions that were found to enhance employability skills and self-constructs were also identified in correlational research as predictors of the successful employment of youths with visual impairments. There were no studies of interventions that directly resulted in employment. Only 3 of the 15 studies used designs with random assignment to groups—the most rigorous in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. Implications for practitioners There is a critical need for information on evidenced-based practices that affect the successful transition of young adults with visual impairments. Practitioners are encouraged to implement rigorous evaluation methods to evaluate transition practices and to publish findings as a basis for public policy and the development of high-quality programs.

In 1997, the National Council on Disability recommended that separate Title I vocational rehabilitation (VR) grants to state agencies serving only consumers who are visually impaired should be eliminated. This study found that such separate VR agencies serve consumers who are more socially and economically disadvantaged, have more severe visual impairments, have more secondary disabilities, and incur greater service costs than do general agencies. In addition, various outcome criteria indicate the overall superiority of separate agencies.