35-2 Employment Process of People with Spinal Injury

The purpose of this study was to investigate the employment process of people with spinal injury who are currently employed. It is as important for people with spinal injury to be employed as non-disabled ones. In this study, three participants with stable employment were selected to explore their meaningful life stories and experiences. The cross-case analysis was performed to understand their employment process. In addition to the analysis of employment process, this study attempted to discuss the findings by incorporating and linking relevant literatures with what was observed in the field. The semi-structured interview guide, the reflective journals and observation notes were major sources of data. To ensure the reliabilities among the researchers, triangulation, peer examination, positive relationship with the participants, and participants’ review of transcripts were used. The findings showed that (a) every participant was originally at different career development stage before the occurrence of spinal injury, and (b) their spinal injury resulted in a new cycle, including the stages of initiation of new growth, exploration, and establishment. According to the coded data, the employment process of participants with spinal injury can be divided into 7 phases: Pre-injury personal status and future planning, impact of injury, psychological adjustment, pre-employment adjustment and stepping towards independent living, employment exploration, employment orientation, and impact of injury on life and future planning. The limitations and future directions of the study were discussed.

Keywords
employment process ; people with spinal injury ; stable employment

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