An Online, Video-Based Job Preference Program for

Youth/Adults with Disabilities

Robert Morgan

Becky Morgan

Utah State University

This presentation will describe YES (Your Employment Selections), a web-based program for identifying job preferences for youth and adults with developmental disabilities.

YES @ http://www.yesjobsearch.com presents video of 120 entry-level jobs and allows individuals with disabilities to select preferred ones. Also, the program assesses degree of match between skill profile and preferred jobs.

At http://www.yesjobsearch.com see

• How the Program Works• What People are Saying• Who’s Using YES, and • Free Demo.

The YES Program is Based on the Self-Determination Philosophy

Scholars advocate self-determination in employment for individuals with developmental disabilities (e.g., Agran, Blanchard, & Wehmeyer, 2000).

Many authors (e.g., Bissonnette, 1994; Field, Martin, Miller, Ward, & Wehmeyer, 1998) advocate self-selected employment by individuals with disabilities based on informed decisions.

Preferences serve as one key ingredient to determining successful employment.

Self-Determination

Legislative mandates have emphasized the importance of acknowledging preferences in employment for individuals with disabilities:

• The 2004 Re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

• Workforce Investment Act of 1998• Vocational Rehabilitation Amendments of 1992

How Do Individuals with Disabilities Select Preferred Employment?

Information from family and friends (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997)

Career education programs (Brolin, 1997)

Community-based job samples (Wehman, 1992)

Vocational interest inventories-Reading-Free Vocational Interest Inventory (Becker, 2000)-Wide Range Interest Opinion Test (Jastak & Jastak, 2005)-Self-Directed Search, 4th Ed. (Holland, 2000)

Video-based interest inventories -WorkSight (Stock, Davies, Secor, & Wehmeyer, 2003)-Choose and Take Action (Martin, Huber-Marshall, Wray, Wells, O’Brien,

Heslin-Olvey, & Johnson, 2004)

What Do Job Seekers with Developmental Disabilities Need?

INFORMATION presented in a context consistent with their capacity to understand

Video-based programs may assist in efficiently delivering information to promote decision making- Show pace, actions, noise level, number of people, and social

interaction involved in a work place

The Web-Based Job Preference Program

Presents motion video (2-4 minutes from community employment settings) representing each of 120 jobs

Requires little or no reading (job tasks are described by narrator) Provides opportunities for youth and adults with developmental

disabilities to gather information and select preferred employment

Offers resources for a facilitator (such as a transition teacher, vocational rehabilitation counselor, or family member) and participant

OUTCOME: A targeted list of 5-10 consistently selected jobs to guide participant’s transition/supported employment planning

YES! Is Now Available in Two Formats

What Are The Computer Requirements Recommended for the YES Program?

PC Computer. There is currently no support for the Macintosh platform because of browser and video streaming issues

Internet Explorer, version 6 or higher with javascript enabled

Windows Media Player version 9 or higher

Macromedia Flash Player 6 or higher

High speed internet connection capable of streaming motion video

PC Computer. There is currently no support for the Macintosh platform.

Quick Time 4.0 or newer 24 speed CD-Rom Drive 256 MHz processor 64 mg. RAM Computer monitor with minimum

screen resolution of 600 x 800

Internet Version CD-Rom Version

www.yesjobsearch.com

The YES WEBSITE

Current technology allows for smooth delivery over the internet

Creates increased flexibility, versatility, and accessibility Enables customized search based on job titles, work

conditions, job characteristics, etc Reduces costs to individual consumers through nominal site

access fee

www.yesjobsearch.com

Two Approaches to Searching Jobs

Search by Work ConditionsAllows participants to select jobs based on

preferred work environments Search by Job Tasks

Allows participants to select jobs based on preferred work tasks

www.yesjobsearch.com

Job Task Decisions

• Animal Care• Auto Repair/Cleaning• Children: Service & Supervision• Cleaning

• Computer Use• Crops and Plants• Customer Assistance• Electrical • Installation/Repair

• Merchandise• Office• Painting or Building• Telephone

• Food Prep• Heavy

Equipment Operation• Human Services• Mechanical

Repair

Job Matching

Definition: An assessment of job seeker characteristics in relation to job requirements (Ellis, Rusch, Tu, & McCaughrin, 1990; Trach, 1990).

The YES program starts with identification of preferences but then assesses skill levels relative to “importance dimensions” for preferred jobs.

Job Matching Assessment

For each YES job, the developer used O*NET information to create 106 knowledge, skill, and ability dimensions (e.g., Active Listening/Active Learning, Critical Thinking, Stamina, Following Instructions).

ONET has assigned an “importance” rating for each of these dimensions for each job. The ratings are different across jobs (e.g., Critical Thinking for Computer Repairer = .90; for Asphalt Paver = .20)

Job Matching Outcome A teacher, transition specialist, or other

stakeholder rates a job seeker’s skill levels on 106 dimensions. The program multiplies skill ratings by importance levels and creates a job matching score for each preferred job.

The OUTCOME is a listing of the degree to which skills match three preferred jobs along with strengths and weaknesses for the best matched job.

Creating an Account Subscriptions can be ordered through

TRISPED Projects at 1-877-722-3991 or go to www.trisped.org

Cost is $20 for 3 months (90 days)

Thanks! For more information…

Visit Call toll free at 1-877-722-3991 Log onto www.trisped.org

Becky MorganTRI-SPEDHuman Services Research CenterUtah State UniversityLogan, UT. 84322-6523rbmorgan@cc.usu.edu

www.yesjobsearch.com

Bob MorganDepartment of Special Education and RehabilitationUtah State UniversityLogan, UT. 84322-2865bmorgan@cc.usu.edu