A comparative study of vocational development of able bodied and disabled persons

The vocational development of 547 disabled students in the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany was compared with a group of able bodied students in the U.S. on the Goldberg Scale of Vocational Development (GSVD), measuring plans, realism, initiative, work values, commitment, and occupational awareness. The students were classified into 8 groups, and covaried by age. The average scores from high to low on vocational development were: able bodied, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart, orthopedic, facial burns, delinquent, developmental disability, learning or mental retardation. The German students made plans specifically tailored to training courses whereas the American students made more varied and open ended plans with higher aspirations for the future. All 7 disabled groups scored lower than the able bodied group, with only the cystic fibrosis group approaching normality.