The occurrence and impact of disability harassment of students in special education apparently have a low priority for official policy makers and education administrators. Literature on policies of generic school bullying, one state's prohibition of pupil harassment, and a federal memorandum of school-based disability harassment are reviewed. The purpose of this preliminary study is to investigate observed occurrences of harassment of students with disabilities based on 15 specific types of harassment conduct and explore potential policy implications of such conduct. Ninety special education teachers from a large public school district reported on their direct observations of harassment of their students. The most frequently reported types that occur “many times” in rank order include epithets, slurs, mimicking, mockery, and staring. Overall, 96.7% of the participants report that they observed more than one incident of these types of school-related disability harassment conduct. Implications, study limitations, and recommendations for research and policy are discussed.

Aim The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between vocational rehabilitation services provided and work outcomes among people with cerebral palsy (CP), taking in to account demographic characteristics. Method From the US Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report (RSA‐911) database, data from 3162 individuals with CP (1820 males [57.6%] and 1342 females [42.4% age range 16–54y) whose cases were closed in 2009, were used in this study. A total of 1567 cases (49.6%) were closed with clients being categorized as ‘successful employment’ and 1595 cases (50.4%) were closed with clients being classified as unemployed. Results Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between services provided and work outcomes with regard to demographic characteristics. Males aged between 26 and 54 years old with higher education attainment were more likely to be employed. Individuals receiving disability benefits were less likely to be employed. After controlling for the effect of demographic and work disincentive variables, five vocational rehabilitation services significantly predicted employment outcomes (p<0.05), including (1) on‐the‐job training; (2) job placement assistance; (3) on‐the‐job support; (4) maintenance services; and (5) rehabilitation technology. Interpretation Medical and health professionals need to be aware of vocational rehabilitation agencies as a resource for providing medical, psychological, educational, and vocational interventions for adults with CP to help them maximize their employability, to address their much needed work adjustment skills, to establish independent living, and to eventually reach their full potential in participation in society.

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Disability harassment of students in special education may have a significant impact on their transition from school to work. Risk factors could include not attending school, not seeking employment, and dropping out of the workforce if they experience harassment again early on in their work history. Background information includes an analogy to sexual harassment and two definitions of disability harassment. Several egregious legal accounts from schools and the workplace, along with research findings on the prevalence of work-related disability harassment of eligible clients of a state vocational rehabilitation agency are presented. Data reports from federal agencies monitoring public schools and places of employment indicate a trend of greater frequency of filed complaints of disability harassment. Important points to remember regarding this issue are discussed. Finally, specific and practical implications for rehabilitation counselors are mentioned to help break the silence on this insidious problem for young people with disabilities in transition.

The purpose of this exploratory study of disability harassment was to develop a typology of disability harassment experiences anchored in the perspectives of students with disabilities who have experienced harassment in urban, suburban, and exurban-rural schools. Based on focus group interviews with four groups of young people with various disabilities and two groups of parents of students with disabilities, the authors identified six major types of disability harassment and placed them on a continuum from least assertive to most aggressive. For each of the six types, signature behaviors were identified as was their respective frequency. Based on their findings, the authors propose several practical strategies for secondary schools (Grades 6—12) aimed at helping to address the multiple faces of this formidable challenge.