Predicting vocational self-efficacy of unemployed adults with disabilities

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities experience barriers to the labor market. Self-efficacy is frequently cited as a barrier to engaging in the workforce, and vocational self-efficacy influences participation in employment. Understanding factors that predict vocational self-efficacy will help promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. OBJECTIVE: To examine factors that may predict the vocational self-efficacy of unemployed people with disabilities. METHODS: Adults with disabilities completed an online survey including demographic, disability, social, and strengths-based factors through a crowdsourcing data-collection tool. RESULTS: Results from a hierarchical regression analysis suggests that the ability to connect with others, family support, adaptation to disability, and fatigue are significantly related to vocational self-efficacy when accounting for all other variables. No demographic variables significantly contributed to the prediction of vocational self-efficacy after accounting for other variables. The final model accounted for 43% of the total variance in vocational self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide new directions for addressing vocational self-efficacy. The most significant variables in the model represent modifiable factors to be directly or indirectly addressed through rehabilitation counseling. More research is needed to determine best practices for addressing these factors through the rehabilitation process and promote vocational self-efficacy and labor market participation of people with disabilities.