Mentoring and Self-Employment: Potential Strategies to Promote Labor Force Participation

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation science
• Disability studies
• Vocational rehabilitation

Background:

• A significant number of individuals with visual impairments are not in the labor force.
• Mentoring and self-employment are potential pathways to increase workforce participation for this demographic.
• Limited data exists on the availability and interest in these support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interest in and access to mentoring and self-employment assistance among individuals with visual impairments who are out of the labor force.
• To understand the experiences and perceptions of this population regarding employment support services.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 participants with visual impairments not currently in the labor force.
• Interview data was analyzed using qualitative software to identify key themes and demographic patterns.

Main Results:

• Participants expressed interest in mentorship but often lacked access to mentors.
• While some explored self-employment, few were offered it by vocational rehabilitation providers.
• Many were keen to learn more about self-employment opportunities and their impact on benefits.

Conclusions:

• Current support systems for mentoring and self-employment for people with visual impairments appear underutilized.
• There is a clear interest in mentorship and self-employment opportunities within this population.
• Vocational rehabilitation agencies should enhance access to mentoring and self-employment resources to improve labor force participation.