ACADEMIC AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF DISABLED UNIVERSITY GRADUATES (HANDICAPPED, EMPLOYMENT, CAREER DEVELOPMENT)

The purpose of the study was to examine the academic achievements and occupational attainments of disabled university graduates, and to determine their perceptions about the impact of academic and nonacademic experiences on subsequent educational and occupational experiences. The research investigated the following questions: (1) What are the employment experiences of disabled university graduates? (2) Do employment experiences for disabled university graduates differ as a function of type of disability? (3) What are the postgraduation educational activities pursued by disabled university graduates? (4) Do postgraduation educational activities for disabled graduates differ as a function of type of disability? (5) How do disabled university graduates perceive the value of their education? (6) Does perception of the value of educational experiences for disabled university graduates differ as a function of type of disability? The population for the study consisted of 64 university students with disabilities who graduated between 1972 and 1981. The sample of 42 represented 65% of the population. Two instruments were developed to investigate the research questions: the Survey of Alumni with Physical Disabilities; and the Interview of the Education and Employment Experiences of Disabled Graduates. Frequency distributions, and chi-square tests of significance were utilized to analyze the data. The results indicated: (1) Disabled university graduates were employed at a lower level than nondisabled university graduates. (2) Graduates with communication disabilities demonstrated a pattern of responses regarding employment experiences different from those of other disabled graduates. (3) Nearly all disabled graduates who had engaged in postgraduate educational activities perceived their education as a means of enhancing their employability. (4) Presence of a disability was perceived by most disabled graduates as having no significant effect on attainment of their educational goals. (5) Presence of a disability had a negative effect on obtaining employment initially, but had no significant impact on occupational success. Recommendations for future research were presented