Poverty, Disability, Education, and Labor Skills: Interviews with Women in Rural Oregon

Running Head: Preparing Disabled Women and Poverty in the Labor Pool with Vital Skills

PREPARING DISABLED WOMEN AND POVERTY IN THE LABOR POOL

WITH VITAL SKILLS

RITA FAE HARRIS

JUNE 15, 2012

EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

Preparing Disabled Women and Poverty in the Labor Pool with Vital Skills 2

ABSTRACT

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to discover the unique barriers of women with disabilities in poverty that prevents workforce participation, based on the vital skill needs of the labor pool.

Design – Data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with six women who have disabilities and poverty level incomes. A second set of document evidence was obtained from Oregon Employment Department. The data were used to develop a case study narrative of barriers, vital skills, and the regional labor pool.

Findings – Social services are inadequate support for women with disabilities in poverty. Training and education for women with mobility, cognitive, and mental health limitations may be facilitated to improve the vital skill sets. Vital skill sets must be related to employer needs in soft skills to maximize the labor supply. Women who work break the cycle of poverty for their families and encourage ongoing, future economic and workforce participation.

Implications – The local labor supply is reaching retirement age as the economy is strengthening. Women with disabilities in poverty can assist in overcoming this expected gap if technology is leveraged and resource needs are met to increase vital skills in the labor pool.

Value – This is one of the few studies to use the women’s own perspective of disability, poverty, and vital skill training needs as a model approach to encouraging a skilled labor supply and workforce participation that extends also to the women’s homes and families.


PREFACE

Definition of Terms

Disability- The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act Of 2008 (2008) Section 902 Definition of the Term Disability is the basis for this definition summary. A person with a physical or mental impairment that limits major life activities is considered to have a disability. The individual must have a record of the impairment or be regarded as having the impairment to establish the impairment. Limitations are not temporary statuses such as pregnancy, illness, and characteristics. Major life activities are "are those basic activities that the average person in the general population can perform with little or no difficulty." 29 C.F.R. pt. 1630 app.§ 1630.2(i) (ADA, p902.3-a, 2008).

Economic Distress-Economic distress, and poverty, in this research is based on the income guidelines for federal poverty in table 1. Currently, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012) Federal Guidelines for Poverty are established:

Table 1 Poverty Guidelines

Number of People in Home

Annual Income Continental USA

1 11,1702 15,1303 19,0904 23,0505 27,0106 30,9707 34,9308 38,890Each additional person 3,850*Adapted from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012)

Vital Skills- The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (2008) defines vital skills for the workplace specifically for persons with disabilities as the following soft skills:

a. Professionalismb. Work ethicc. Oral and written communicationd. Teamwork and collaboration skillse. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Labor Pool- Princeton (n.d.) defines labor pool as: “the source of trained people from which

workers can be hired.”


TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................................2PREFACE................................................................................................................................................3

Definition of Terms......................................................................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY..............................................................................6

1.1 Background of the Problem..........................................................................................................................61.2 Statement of the Problem.............................................................................................................................71.3 Purpose of the Study....................................................................................................................................71.4 Importance of the Study...............................................................................................................................71.5 Aims and Objectives....................................................................................................................................81.6 Research Questions......................................................................................................................................81.7 Scope of the Study........................................................................................................................................91.8 Limitations of the Study.............................................................................................................................101.9 Summary....................................................................................................................................................10

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................................11

2.1 The Inequities in Social and Family Environments...................................................................................112.2 The Inequities of Disabilities, Gender, and Public Services......................................................................142.3 The Inequities of Employment and Labor..................................................................................................192.4 Summary....................................................................................................................................................23

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS...............................................................................................24

3.1 Participants.................................................................................................................................................243.2 Materials.....................................................................................................................................................243.3 Design.........................................................................................................................................................253.4 Procedure....................................................................................................................................................25

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDY................................................................................................................27

4.1 The Participant’s Experiences.........................................................................................................................274.2 The Regional Labor Pool.................................................................................................................................314.3 Vital Skills.......................................................................................................................................................354.4 Summary..........................................................................................................................................................36

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION.................................................................37

5.1 Preparing disabled women in poverty with vital skills to improve the local labor pool.................................375.2 Recommendations...........................................................................................................................................39

REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................42


TABLE OF FIGURES

Table 1 Poverty Guidelines............................................................................................3

Table 2 Closed Ended Responses................................................................................27

Table 3 2012 Openings and Pay (OED, 2012d)...........................................................34

Table 4 Model..............................................................................................................40


Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

1.1 Background of the Problem

At the end of the 1980's, changes to Federal and State Welfare and SSI policies begun

reforms to increase skill training and employability of families in poverty (Cohen, 2006). At

the end of the Welfare reform era, the weakest minority group that continued to suffer from

severe economic disadvantages was single mothers with disabilities (Cohen, 2006). Women

with disabilities who live in rural communities continue to have the highest unemployment

rate of any minority group (DFN, 2009, Carstensen, 2008).

Employment is crucial to economic well-being of families; paid employment has the

potential for families to achieve self-sufficiency (Mammen, Lass & Seiling, 2008). Mothers

in poverty are more likely to suffer from severe depression than any other demographic

(Vericker, Macomber, & Golden 2010). Mental health has been improved through increased

self-esteem, reducing depression and stress (Mammen, Lass & Seiling, 2008). Voluntary

maternal employment often had a positive impact on the whole family via increased access to

other services and established family security through positive role models (Mammen, Lass

& Seiling, 2008).

The reduced workforce and consumer activities of women with disabilities in rural

economies generates a continued ripple of loss of goods, loss of services, and loss of

economic strength across the U.S. economy (Holzer, Schanzenbach, Duncan, & Ludwig,

2007). Reducing poverty through education for the weakest of economic disadvantaged

groups increases the labor pool, the strength of the local economy, and supports consumer

and social participation (Holzer, Schanzenbach, Duncan, & Ludwig, 2007).


In the following, the research will use qualitative evidence to explore the position of

women with disabilities in rural economies and their unique struggles to build a model for

overcoming economic disadvantages with employment, increasing the local labor pool and

supporting the rural economy.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The problem is that women with disabilities are the minority group with the highest

economic distress, thus they suffer additional stressors of poverty that carry through

generations including depression, poor health, and lack of skills and education. The problem

has a wide-reaching impact in the economy by taxing resources and lowering the overall

demand for goods and services. The problem is also cyclic in nature, women (and, especially

single mothers) with disabilities are the least likely population to have a high school diploma

and basic skills, least likely to be gainfully employed, and least likely to have a stable living

environment. This increases poor mental health and decreases the viability of the women with

disabilities to participate in the labor pool and workforce, which in turn increases poverty.

The problem statement is to discover and overcome barriers to successful labor pool

participation for women with disabilities in poverty.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to develop knowledge regarding the position of disabled

women in a rural economy, to understand strategies for overcoming the unique barriers of

this specific demographic, and to create a model for improving vital skills of the demographic

with the purpose of improving the local rural economy and labor pool.

1.4 Importance of the Study

The importance of the study is to improve the labor pool, and thus the economy, by

creating a model for improving the vital skillsets of women with disabilities in rural


communities. The study is approached from the position that it is important to break the cycle

of poverty for the minority group that suffers the highest rate of economic distress. According

to several policy papers on the economy and in psychology the minority group suffering the

highest rate of economic distress are women with disabilities. Improving the potential for

women with disabilities to overcome the negative impacts of poverty has important impacts

on the whole: it can increase the viability of the local labor pool, thus attracting more

employers; it can improve the individual’s role in the economy; it can reduce depression and

improve self-esteem. The long-term impacts can hold even more importance by breaking the

cycle of poverty that families headed by rural women with disabilities are more likely to face.

1.5 Aims and Objectives

The aims of this study are:

1. To prepare women with disabilities with vital skillsets for the labor pool.

2. To understand the barriers that women with disabilities and economic distress

face.

3. To develop a model to overcome these barriers.

The objectives of this study are to interview women with disabilities in rural

communities and review policy and programs:

a. To discover the unique difficulties

b. To discover the barriers and support that may exist in policies, programs, labor

markets and organizations.

c. To discover the vital skills needs of the local labor pool and economy.

d. To discover the barriers to gaining vital skills

e. To discover the barriers to entering the labor pool

f. To develop a model to prepare women with disabilities with vital skills to

improve the labor pool of the local economy.


1.6 Research Questions

In regards to the population of rural women with disabilities, the research will question:

What do women with disabilities require to increase vital skillsets for the labor pool

and encourage a strong local economy?

o What are the barriers to workforce participation?

o What are the barriers to economic advancement?

What do women with disabilities require to increase vital skillsets for the workforce

and have a positive impact on individual and family mental health?

o What can vital skillsets do encourage strong financial role models for their

families?

o What barriers prevent positive impacts on mental and physical health for these

women?

What model can be developed that will triangulate disabilities, the economy, and

mental health to improve the overall lives of women and their families to secure a

better future?

o What are the barriers to education and skillsets?

o What skillsets are vital to the labor pool?

1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of the study is to use qualitative research through interviews and document

reviews to assess the unique position, barriers, and support for women with disabilities in

rural communities. The qualitative research will involve face to face, telephone, and email

interviews with women with disabilities. The document review will involve the assessment of

available government, policy, and program documentation that assesses the support of the

minority population and the vital skillsets imperative to the local rural labor pool. The scope


of the study is specifically women with disabilities and professionals who work with the

population of study in Douglas County, Oregon.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The primary limitation of the study is a lack of quantitative statistics. The study does

not, for example, study income or expenses. The limitation of reliability exists in that the

results may not be repeatable given the same population-even the same participants, due to

the qualitative nature of the study. The results may be limited by validity in that qualitative

research is subjective to the researchers and participants interpretations.

The study is also very local to Douglas County, Oregon. The region has a large rural,

low income and disabled community and is appropriate for the needs of this study. However,

this also limits the generalization of results to suburban and urban populations.

Generalization is also limited to the specific population of rural women with disabilities. The

needs, barriers, and support that are discovered may not be generalizable to other populations,

and the concluding model may also not be generalizable.

The research is also limited in the conclusions being only generalizable to the local

rural population, and would not be applicable to a larger population; furthermore without the

base of statistical data from a reasonably sized and appropriate cross section of the

population, large conclusions to the general public are difficult to create. The research only

applies, specifically, to rural disabled women in poverty in the economy local to Douglas

County, Oregon.

1.9 Summary

In summary, the background shows that there has been decades of socioeconomic

concern for women with disabilities, particularly singly mothers. This minority group is at a

serious economic disadvantage and continues to have the lowest employment rate of any


minority group. Sustainable employment for women with disabilities can boost the local

economy, the family life, and have lasting positive impacts on the individual. The research’s

ultimate goal is to understand the barriers that women with disabilities in rural communities

face, to overcome these barriers with vital skills, and ultimately impact the economy as a

whole by encouraging a stronger labor pool. The research will make these discoveries

through qualitative interviews and document reviews. In the following section, the current

literature is explored in regards to the relationship between the target sample population and

the economy.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

The literature review responds specifically to the objectives of the research study to

first, discover the difficulties women in poverty with disabilities face and second, discover

the barriers to gaining skills to enter the labor pool.

2.1 The Inequities in Social and Family Environments

The American with Disabilities Act is an important step in sociopolitical concern

towards awareness and regulation of discrimination prevent the person from being a full

participant in society (Fairchild, 2002). For women with disabilities discrimination occurs on

the gender and disabled statuses, which causes double discrimination (Fairchild, 2002).

Women with disabilities face unique obstacles in society while attempting to become full and

equal participants in society (Fairchild, 2002). One obstacle is knowledge. Women with

disabilities may have difficulties reaching equal social participation levels due to their social

agents and the self not having knowledge of opportunities available to support and encourage

full social participation due to their disabilities (Ruddell & Shinew, 2006).


The ability to participate in healthy activities is a core component is having physical

and psychological health. Women in poverty face challenges in using social activities due to

the increase cost of attending social events (McCarville, 2008). Poverty assistance programs

contain gaps and lack the multidimensional approach necessary to support social and

individual health inclusion in an active society. For women in poverty, life conditions create

unique challenges that restrain the ability to participate in society. A serious and ongoing

problem is the cost of transportation, particularly for rural families who indicated that owning

a vehicle, insurance, and fuel costs prevent participation in even the most basic of social

functions.

The consequence of social oppression for women with disabilities is domestic

violence (Mays, 2006). Domestic violence correlations to disability lack definitive

explanations; there is not a list of features of life situations that lead women with disabilities

into domestic violence situations. Domestic violence against women with disabilities has

been defined from the trait perspective, defining the issue as being causal to the victim’s

individual characteristics such as “dysfunctional behavior, for example, dependency, poor

self-concept and over compliance” as influencing factors (pp 150). This trait view may be

correct that these factors influence aggressive behaviors in the domestic partner that lead to

violence, but tend to ignore pathologies from the abuser’s traits. This perspective that

individual traits of disabled women increase domestic violence because of the traits existence

also has the impact of marginalizing the women’s disabilities as a side-note and assumes

general victim blame.

Mays (2006) continue to describe the characteristics of domestic violence that women

with disabilities face as being related to the higher incidences of poverty and unemployment.

Inaccessible and inflexible work environments tend towards exasperating economic

disadvantages of women with disabilities over women without disabilities. This creates a


social exclusion of women from the labor market, particularly women with disabilities.

Women forced with disabilities as a result of welfare reform are forced into workforces of

low wage, low skill work and maintain a poverty status. The political implication leans

towards a liberation perspective for women with disabilities to secure higher standards of

living and, as a result of improved socioeconomic and sociopolitical status improvement,

avoid and escape domestic violence and become strong contributors to the economy and

improved family status.

Women who are isolated from social participation are more likely to suffer from

immune system impairments, depression, and many other physiological symptoms that

exacerbate disabilities (Fiske, 2004). Physical difficulties create functional limitations and

thus work limitations. Mobility is the ability to walk, climb stairs, stand, and use aids like

wheelchairs (Iezzoni, McCarthy, Davis & Seibens, 2001). Persons in the higher risk mobility

disabled female demographic, were more likely to have low education levels, live alone, in

poverty, with obesity issues, and restrictions on daily activities. More than 30% of those with

mobility problems reported frequent depression and anxiety. This contributes to the co-

occurrences of physical disabilities, mental health, income, employment, and education.

Notably, women are at a higher risk to face these problems. In-depth interviews with disabled

women explored their lived experiences, supporting that rural women with disabilities

experience a variety of social and interpersonal issues (Taub, Mclorg, & Bartnick, 2009).

Physical barriers included mobility, transportation, and other aspects of the physical

environment and individual capabilities to move, contributed to impaired social networks.

The social relationships were neglected, contributing to other factors such as anxiety and

depression. Social isolation also has a negative impact on survival rates; therefore a person’s

life is affected by the strength and prevalence of their social ties (Fiske, 2004). Combine this

with the limitations of disabled access, transportation, and participation in events due to lack


of support and encouragement of social agents (Ruddell & Shinew, 2006), and it becomes

quickly noticeable how women with disabilities living in poverty face double discrimination

and inaccessibility (Fairchild, 2002).

2.2 The Inequities of Disabilities, Gender, and Public Services

More than 25% of women with disabilities live below the poverty line, 2.5 times the

amount of women without disabilities who live in poverty (Cronin, Schneidawind, Hanna &

Genson, 2007). Higher numbers of women with disabilities in every demographic live in

poverty than men without disabilities.

Rosenman (1976) showed that the social security program of 1976 is based on social

security rulings of 1935 to protect male income retirement based on a full time working

lifetime. Social income security and social welfare policy has not accommodated towards

women in poverty with disabilities, but attempts to force women-and more often than not

women are the primary caregivers of children-into predominantly male roles of work and life

balances. In 1935 the system is designed (and redesigned in 1939 to include families) to

support income security if a person worked a full lifetime. There is a general population of

persons who will never receive social security, about 4% of persons over 62 (Whitman,

Reznik, & Schoffner, 2011). The never-beneficiary group is populated by persons who

immigrate to America late in life, Hispanics, and women. Women in this group are

characterized by lower education levels, never-married, and widowed. 44% of the never-

beneficiary population lives in poverty. Women are characterized by infrequent work, and are

likely to be reliant on supplemental security income. This population does not qualify for

higher-levels of social security due to not enough time spent in employment, creating a

never-beneficiary gap of income inequities due to lack of work history and lack of a non-

Hispanic or non-immigrant male head of household.


The pattern of social economic inequity continues to be a lifetime issue for women

with disabilities to receive adequate social services and support. This system has changed

little over the years, as shown in Nudric (1983) who asserts that income inequities occurs in

social services as extremely low assistance and advocacy for women with disabilities. Income

inequities in social welfare were further supported in 2007 by Cronin, Schneidawind, Hanna

& Genson (2007) who stated that income discrepancies occur because women work less than

male counterparts, the work-life income inequality and service inequality being drastically

complicated not only by gender, but also by disabilities.

Disabled women face severe income inequities (Rosenman, 1976, Nudric, 1983,

Cronin, Schneidawind, Hanna & Genson, 2007). Income social security, health insurance,

and welfare programs discriminate against women in the U.S. as women in poverty lack

financial support and advocacy. Women who are unable to work and rely on public or social

welfare funds live in poverty conditions that are prominent in their daily lives. Women with

disabilities who received employment support through a community rehabilitation provider

were found to work fewer hours with lower-wage jobs than male counterparts in the same

program (Boeltzig, Timmons, & Butterworth, 2009). It is statistically significant that women

with disabilities in this program earn less money than males in the same program (Boeltzig,

Timmons, & Butterworth, 2009). This is underscored by the pervasive cultural attitude that it

is imperative for a male to earn living wages and not as important for a female, in particular

this attitude contributes to double discrimination being more prevalent than discrimination

against men with disabilities (Feist-Price, 2003).

The largest injustice that women in poverty face is that social welfare programs

discriminate against women by forcing them into the typical pattern of a male working life

(Rosenman, 1976, Nudric, 1983, Cronin, Schneidawind, Hanna & Genson, 2007). This

method has, for generations, ignored the issues that disabled women in poverty face as


individual heads of households. Social health programs discrimination by excluding or

controlling female only programs, while income security and welfare policies are by their

nature discriminatory as they are set up to protect wage and salary earners who live and work

a typical male pattern of employment (Rosenman, 1976).

This is further supported under a general social demographic discrimination when the

consideration includes the long standing socially recognizable, gender-based income disparity

amongst lifetime working professional women and lifetime working professional males

(Cronin, Schneidawind, Hanna & Genson, 2007). Women earn less over the lifetime, and

therefore do not receive the same amount of social income assistance in comparison to male

counterparts (Nudrick, 1983). Income inequities and double discrimination then occurs as a

result of women with disabilities who are unable to work over a lifetime at the same rate as

males with equal disabilities. While obstacles certainly occur for both genders and across all

demographics, women are at higher risks of adverse effects of due to gender based income

inequities and double discrimination.

Women with disabilities have a higher rate of obstacles participating in the economy.

The inability to access and purchase food resources creates food insecurity (Parish, Rose &

Andrews, 2009). Persons in vulnerable populations include women with disabilities.

Hardship indicators that women are more likely to feel the burden of include food, medical,

housing, and utilities hardships. Housing instability occurs due to inability to pay for housing,

to own a house and be free of no-fault evictions. There is a strong relationship between

intellectual disability, homelessness, and gender (Mercier & Pcard, 2011). Women with

intellectual disabilities are at a predisposed risk factor for vulnerability towards homelessness

that is relatively short termed but may be repeated depending on the severity of their

problems.


Healthcare accessibility is a problem, finding correct care in an area that a woman

with a disability can physically access and pay for or be insured for is increasingly difficult

for many women (Parish, Rose & Andrews, 2009). Healthcare accessibility for disabilities is

especially low in regards to obstetrics and gynecology, birth control and parenting planning.

Preventative feminine care such as pap smears and cervical cancer screening is especially low

for women with disabilities (Rivera, Julia, & Short, 2010). Women with disabilities are have

a lower ratio of receiving preventative reproductive care than women without disabilities.

While women with disabilities received a recommendation for a pap smear, difficulties

including transportation, lack of insurance, and cost were cited as reasons for not receiving

reproductive healthcare access.

Phone service and utilities disconnections are higher for disabled women than for

nondisabled women (Parish, Rose & Andrews, 2009). The largest poverty population is

women, and these issues exist for all women in poverty across other demographics including

education and ethnicity. The rates and strength of economic hardships are highest for disabled

women even when adjusted for all other characteristics-age, income, marital status,

education, and ethnicity. Income is interesting component when examining economic and

material hardships. Income increases correlate to a hardship decline for disabled and non-

disabled women. For disabled women, the levels of hardship even at middle to upper income

ranges continue to be substantial, and for all disabled women at any income level the

hardship outcomes continue to be severe. Federal poverty guidelines fail to adequately

describe and respond to the experiences of hardship for all women, and this is especially true

for women with disabilities.

Mental health barriers for women who receive or have received TANF exist that

continue to prevent gainful employment and were not recognized by TANF or other agencies

as barriers to successful employment (Stromwall, 2002). The mental health related quality of


life and characteristics for women receiving TANF compared to TANF non-recipients. As

noted previously, women with disabilities are more susceptible and vulnerable to hardships

across all demographics; however women in poverty with disabilities report a stronger impact

of the hardships than women not in poverty (Parish, Rose & Andrews, 2009, Stromwall,

2002). TANF recipients reported mental health distress and limits to functional abilities at a

higher rate and level than non-TANF recipients (Stromwall, 2002). The subgroup of women

with disabilities on TANF is at a particular disadvantage of falling through the cracks and

lacking specific attention from public systems and programs. The problem is that programs

are not meant to address multifaceted needs of women in poverty with disabilities, and the

women on TANF with mental health issues suffer increased distress and inability to function

within the average parameters of work and life. Additional distress is faced with meeting the

public policy goals of employment, perhaps in some instances employment that the woman is

not able to maintain functional capabilities. Women in Stromwall’s (2002) study faced

substantial distress and loss of functions that require ongoing treatment; however mental

illnesses are not frequently recognized by public welfare staff.

Horvath-Rose, Stapleton, & O’Day (2006) take a different approach to public policy

impact on women with disabilities than Stromwall’s (2002). Horvath-Rose, Stapleton, &

O’Day (2002) used a current population survey regarding changes in welfare reform through

the 1990’s by statistical reviews of TANF, SSI, and population data. The contention is that

the substantial increase in women reporting work limitations and the socioeconomic

outcomes for young women reporting work limitations is possibly due to the effects of the

changes of public policy. Disability in young mothers facing poverty is under-reported in

previous decades because public policy does not address the needs of disabilities or

encourage work-limitation reporting. The impact of welfare policy for mothers of disabilities

is a type of segregation-now mothers with low incomes and disabilities are relegated to


poverty because public policy seeks to move them from welfare (TANF) programs into SSI

programs. Young mothers reported increased work limitations after welfare reform than in

previous years, which poses the question if single motherhood creates or exacerbates work

limitation conditions such as depression, mental illness, limited physical functionality, or,

does welfare policy encourage young single mothers with work limitations to report and

identify these medical conditions and seek out other avenues of income such as SSI. The

problem is that this reporting begins to pigeon-hole work limited mothers into SSI incomes

which keep a family below poverty level incomes.

2.3 The Inequities of Employment and Labor

Two critical issues require immediate attention. One is the challenge to economic expansion

posed by the environmental constraints of energy supplies, resources, and pollution.

The other element is the enormous and explosive issue of disparities in the

distribution of wealth between rich and poor countries, city and rural areas, wealthy

and poor people, dominant and subordinate ethnic groups, and men and women (Stutz

& Warf, 2007 pp 246).

Employment concerns for women with disabilities include disability and gender

discrimination (Randolph, Smith, & Anderson, 2004). In general, men with disabilities face

employment discrimination. Women without disabilities face employment discrimination.

However, women with disabilities face the largest level of employment and income disparity.

This includes variables of employment such as length of time, income, hiring rate, and other

aspects associated with successful employment. It is important to note that conclusive

statements to the levels of employment are not available, yet it remains evident that women

of any disability status tend to face employment inequities.


There is a relationship between the employment status of disabled women and

physical and sexual abuse (Smith & Strauser, 2008). Logistic regression analysis showed that

women with disabilities that have encountered physical and sexual abuse are at a higher risk

for unemployment. Women without disabilities who have not been abused are at a lower risk

of unemployment. Women with disabilities and abuse have a higher rate of unemployment

than women with disabilities who have not been abused. The experience of physical and

sexual abuse increases the rate of unemployment for women with disabilities. This creates a

cycle that is difficult to escape. The higher rate of unemployment for an abused and disabled

woman shows that the population only increases in vulnerability, the woman then lacks the

financial resources and peer support groups to be able to break the cycle of abuse. Since it is

then likely that the abuse may continue, it then becomes more likely that the woman will not

be able to participate fully in the economy and workforce.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is a CDC telephone survey and

analysis system that tracks health risks across the United States (Randolph & Andresen,

2004). The system supports that there is a disparity for employment participation for women

with disabilities, based on an analysis of 47,000 participants. All people with disabilities face

employment disparities, and all women face employment disparities, yet women with

disabilities face increased rates of low labor participation than women without disabilities or

men with disabilities.

Employment outcomes for women who face a triple discrimination as gender,

ethnicity, and disabilities for women were shown to be improved if they received state

vocational rehabilitation training, over those of same-demographic women who received only

TANF benefits (Vaughn & Boston, 2010). The employment predictors for services for state

and federal vocational rehabilitation agencies showed that women who received all 11

services from vocational rehabilitation were more likely to have a successful employment


outcome. The services for vocational rehabilitation include: assessment, diagnosis treatment,

counseling guidance, postsecondary occupational training, college and university training, job

search assistance, job placement assistance, job readiness training, on the job training

support, transportation services, information and referral services, maintenance,

miscellaneous training, and other services. Women in the study who were of color,

psychiatric disorders and on TANF rather than in a vocational rehabilitation program has

successful employment outcomes if at least four of the vocational rehabilitation services were

provisioned. This study shows that an increase in vocational rehabilitation services that fit the

needs of the disabled women will have more positive employment and labor outcomes when

vocational services are adequately applied. Fewer vocational rehabilitation services is

equivocal to lower employment security for disabled women who are on TANF, and for

disabled women who are not on TANF.

Women with disabilities who participate in labor pool and workplaces can experience

discrimination due to the disability (Randolph, 2005). The preconceived notions and attitudes

of employment peers and leadership can lead to problems with disability accommodation,

inclusion, and exploitation. The workplace experiences of women with disabilities who

participate in the workforce are not all negative, but as a specific labor pool and working

population there is an increased amount of discrimination and vulnerability.

Welfare reform increased workforce participation for mothers, but resource depletion

in regards to disabilities, children, housing, and transportation contributes to increased role

strain, stress, and exasperates mental health and physical disabilities (Morris, Levine, &

Coley, 2004). Work characteristics that also increased strain and stress included longer

working hours, work transitions, and low flexibility in the job. Jobs with high role flexibility

that focus on accommodation for disabilities combined with service resources in the


community can reduce role strain and thus improve sustainable employment outcomes for

women with disabilities.

Psychological mobility is the desire to participate in the workplace, the work

environments, the labor supply and pools. Career competencies tend to increase

psychological mobility in the labor markets, and thus increase technological advances and

goods purchases. This is effectively a relationship between employability, self-perception,

and goal-directed behaviors in job searches and career movements (Direnzo & Greenhaus,

2011). Psychological mobility also includes the perception of the individual in upward bound

career choices within an organization. This embedded connection to the perception of job and

self is comprised of factors such as: the work-life balance, the relationship with coworkers

and work tasks, the personal sacrifices made within the work structure. Psychological

mobility is an important characteristic of the labor pool, yet women with disabilities and

increased labor participation face additional discrimination and eventual unemployment due

to role conflict, exploitation, and other negative aspects of the workplace relationships.

Women with disabilities can also suffer negative employment outcomes and become

chronically disconnected from the labor pool and economy. One study found that in about 9%

of cases, women become chronically disconnected from the labor pool, purchase markets,

and cash welfare (Turner, Danziger, & Seefeldt, 2006). These women have no income from

any employment or services for 19.75 months of the 79 month span of the study. While this

study encompassed all women who became chronically disconnected from employment,

public welfare, and the economy, the correlates of becoming chronically disconnected

included transportation, and three dimensions of disabilities: physical, learning, and

substance abuse.


The removal of a demographic from the labor pool has a negative impact on the labor

supply, goods, and economy in general. Multiple macroeconomic equilibriums are

consequences of the amounts of technological changes in new and existing goods (Graves,

2011). An informal model that shows the importance of the relationship between labor supply

and new and existing goods shows that an influx of new goods increases the labor supply,

and the influx of new goods is largely dependent on the relationship between technology,

consumer, and markets. When one or more of these multiple equilibrium determinants fails,

the labor supply may-in this model-also fail.

2.4 Summary

The literature review supports that women with disabilities in poverty are more

vulnerable to low socioeconomic status. The consequences of this status have a negative

impact on employability, housing, utilities, transportation, education, and healthcare access.

Women also suffer some negative consequences of programs that have the original intention

of supporting them, as these programs are inadequate to address or recognize the barriers of

women with disabilities. Women with disabilities are at a labor pool participation

disadvantage, as social perceptions combined with workforce inequities. This demographic is

also more susceptible to domestic and work related abuses, including sexual abuse, physical

abuse, and discrimination which lead to low workforce involvement. In turn, low workforce

participation diminishes the labor resources placing further restrictions on the market.

Reduced labor participation can be due to lack of skills, lack of resources, and increased

difficulty in handling the role and mental health strain of employment. Combined, these

contributing factors have the potential to create a demographic that is chronically

disconnected from the workforce, labor, and economic participation.


CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODS

The qualitative research method was chosen because it has a good fit in business and

psychology. Qualitative research is useful in psychology to describe special circumstances,

individual thoughts and feelings, and to make in-depth discoveries (Flyvbjerg, 2011)

Qualitative research as a case study is aligned with the goal of this research to discover the

unique thoughts and experiences of women with disabilities in poverty. In business research,

qualitative methods are useful in exploring how individuals navigate the economic and

business structures (Zikmund, Babin, Carr, & Griffin, 2012). Qualitative research in business

can apply to nearly any aspect, from spending and savings to human resource job

development and training. The research has a purpose to build towards a model of skill-

building that supports the local economy and labor pool, which is aligned with many designs

and implementation of qualitative research in the business environments.

3.1 PARTICIPANTS

The research participants are six women who fit the criteria of having a permanent

disability and fitting within the federal poverty guidelines. Participants were selected through

a disability services advocacy agent and included based on their willingness to participate.

The second set of research participants were the documents taken from contact with the

Oregon Employment Department (OED) of Roseburg, Ore.

3.2 MATERIALS

The materials for measurement are telephone contact for question and responses of

the responses and direct note-taking via a laptop. The second materials for the measurement

of document evidence are a collection of pamphlets, printed forms, and other documents

collected directly from the lobby at the OED. The materials from the document evidence


were selected as materials that would be easily available to any person entering the OED

Roseburg office lobby, as a job develop, skills trainer, or disabled person. There was not a

specific area of the OED that catered to disabled persons.

3.3 DESIGN

The design of the research is a case study. The case study design is an extensive study

of the phenomenon. The case study is useful when the phenomenon being studied cannot be

easily distinguished from the context of the phenomenon (Yin, 2009). The phenomenon of

women with disabilities in poverty is not readily different from context of the external

environments which contributed to their experiences or situations-it would be difficult to

determine, for instance, cause and causality between women, poverty, and disability. Case

study research also has the quality of having a rich context where many variables can be

described from points of data, where as in quantitative analysis there are more data points

than there are variables that describe that data point (Yin, 2009). The case study design is to

collect information from participant interviews and document evidence.

3.4 PROCEDURE

The selected procedures are interviews and document collection. Interviews are

important to develop narratives for case studies and can be used alone or in conjunction with

other procedures (Yin, 2009). The procedure choices for interviews include structured and

semi-structured. A structured interview is formal with a limited set of questions. This allows

for within group comparisons to be more accurate as there are fewer deviations and variables,

but does not allow for a true rich account of the participants experiences to be completely

understood by the researcher. In a structured interview, one cannot ask for further

clarification. In a semi-structured interview, flexibility is allowed and the interviewer follows

a basic framework and set of themes based on predetermined topics. The semi-structured


interview allows for more information or alternate questions to be asked to gain a better

understanding of the participant’s perspective. The procedure also used a starting number of

10 closed ended questions (which did not change as the interviews occurred) and 10 open

ended questions (which changed as more questions were asked of participants).

Participants were contacted prior to the interview and asked if they would like to

participate. The participants and interviewee set times and dates of the interview, however

several participants had other complications and were unable to attend face to face

interviews. Only one participant had Email. Therefore, all of the interviews occurred via

telephone at different times and dates, the length of time for each interview varied between

15 minutes and over an hour. Three participants had to stop mid-interview and be called back

at a later time as they had family complications. Two of the participants had the same

telephone contact number.

The procedure for the collected document evidence is to organize the information in

relationship to the local labor pool needs, skill or job descriptions, and coordinate this with

the participant’s experiences. Creswell (2012) states that while conducting the writing of the

case study, the data collection, data description, and data analysis occur simultaneously. As

the document evidence is being collected, a cast study is forming that expresses in the

narrative and analysis. Yin (2009) also comments that it is important to give equal attention

to the interviews and document evidence to form a holistic view of the case study

phenomenon. Creswell (2012) supports the holistic view as a case study narrative procedure.

The procedure for the case study narrative is a holistic account, where qualitative research

attempts to "develop a complex picture of the problem or issue under study. This involves

reporting multiple perspectives, identifying the many factors involved in a situation, and

generally sketching the larger picture that emerges" (pp 47). The narrative of the case study is

analyzed not by the causes and effects of the phenomenon, but by "identifying the complex


interactions of factors in any situation" (pp. 47). Based on the research guides by Yin (2009)

and Creswell (2012), the case study narrative will attempt to give equal attention to document

evidence and interviews. The narrative structure is to identify the characteristic relationships

that create a complex interaction between women with disabilities and the labor pool. The

goal is to provide a rich account for the case study that supports a model for improving vital

skills as a triangulation of the labor pool and women with disabilities in poverty.

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDY

4.1 THE PARTICIPANT’S EXPERIENCES

Table 2 is a breakdown of the characteristics of each participant’s life situation:

Table 2 Closed Ended Responses

Closed Ended Questions:Initials TEW SMW RMC AEW MRP MAHAge 32 38 60 57 26 52Dependents 3 2 0 1 0 0Monthly Income 1,000 0 680 680 0 680Years of Disability 12 6 7 19 10 4Nature of Disability Mental Physical Physical Cognitive

and PhysMental Physical

Mobility Yes Limited Assistance Only

Limited Yes Limited

Transportation Yes No No Yes No YesHealthcare Access Problems No Yes Yes No Yes NoHealthcare Communication Problems

No Yes Yes No Yes No

Homelessness Yes Yes Almost Yes Yes YesHighschool/GED Yes No Yes Yes No YesPostSecondary Some No No No No NoAbuse (prior/current) Yes Yes No Yes Yes NoUtilities payment problems Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

It is interesting that the two women who have mental health disabilities also have

suffered domestic abuse, while only one of the four women with physical disabilities has


been abused. Another interesting component is that each of the women with a physical

disability who are currently receiving SSI receives the same determined amount of

$680/month and were homemakers more often than employees. All participants have had

utilities payment problems. All of the participants have suffered homelessness. Half the

participants have transportation problems. However, transportation does not seem to be an

indicator of healthcare access as some participants with transportation have healthcare access

problems, while some participants with no transportation have no healthcare access problems.

The participants with mental health problems were in agreement that social services

and healthcare was difficult to navigate. They did not feel that there was adequate support for

their disability; they did not feel that social services personnel were able or willing to prepare

them for the workforce. TEW, who has a mental health disability explained that she felt

worthless when dealing with TANF, and that TANF did not understand the difficulties with

getting and keeping a job or the challenges of some medications such as lithium. Some of

these difficulties included transportation, but also the ability to control the mental health state

(get out of bed) and be able to function over the long term of a workplace (deal with

problems). The other participant (MRP) with mental health issues examined that her

problems were severe anxiety, and that she often felt afraid of the CPS and TANF interviews.

MRP suffers from severe anxiety and feels that she could never work because she does not

have the ability to talk to new people or to learn. However, MRP does interact on the Internet

frequently so is able to read, write, navigate computers, and have distance based relationships

with people. MRP notes that she would like to have an income to support herself, but is

unable to reach this goal because of her severe anxiety when in public or with new people.

MRP also feels that she would be unable to work because of this anxiety that is barely

controlled by medication. MRP also indicates that she does not know where to go for medical

help, and that she has anxiety finding a healthcare provider. She has not been able to


successfully navigate an interview with an employer. MRP has had one job which she left

within a few hours because she became very anxious, afraid, and had a hospitalizing panic

attack.

The participants with physical disabilities have something in common. All

participants were homemakers. Most of the participants who have physical disabilities are

also single, except for MAH who is currently married.

The husband of the only currently married participant is applying for SSD due to

severe diabetes but currently works part-time. MAH, the only participant who is married and

receives SSI, relies on the SSI income to support herself and her spouse while he applies for

SSD. MAH feels that she had significant problems gaining SSI income although she is

disabled, because she spent the majority of her life as a home-maker. She worked in the early

years of her life but had not worked consistently in the last thirty years. MAH is active in

church activities, which include reading, writing, singing, and organizing. She has the ability

to build relationships with people which is an important interpersonal skill. She has no

cognitive problems, but cannot walk and move regularly due to severe knee and ankle

problems. Both her knees and ankles have had multiple surgeries and been replaced. MAH

was a local softball player as a hobby, raised six children, and cared for her elderly mother.

MAH’s difficulty is not due to any cognitive or emotional problem, but pain, swelling, and

general mobility limit her functions.

The youngest participant, SMW, suffering from physical mobility issues has been

fighting with SSI to prove that she is physically disabled. While SMW’s doctors have stated

that she suffers from a debilitating disease, SSI has denied her disability claim twice. SMW

has worked with TANF and SSI. She is very frustrated with navigating both TANF and SSI

and feels that neither social service organization is recognizing her mobility issue and urgent


needs. SMW is divorced and has no other income, and she currently resides with RMC.

SMW would like to move upwards on the economic scale and earn a living wage, but feels

limited by her mobility, lack of training and skills, transportation needs, and childcare needs.

SMW, like her mother who was also a participant (RMC) suffers from a degenerative bone

disease. Neither has worked outside of the home for any length of time. SMW has worked as

a clerk and babysitter, she does not have any cognitive loss and is able to use computers as

well as read and write at a basic level.

RMC ran an in-home daycare for several years before becoming permanently

disabled, but did not earn enough income to qualify for SSD within the timeframe of her

disability. RMC spent the majority of her life raising her children, and then went into the

workforce later in life when she became the head of household. However, her length of

employment was not long enough to qualify for the higher paying Social Security Disability.

RMC also has no cognitive or emotional difficulties, she is a kind person and is able to read,

write, and communicate effectively to build relationships with people.

Both SMW and RMC note that the biggest complication to increasing their income

and having a strong economic lifestyle is mobility. It is difficult to physically attend a

training course when one is unable to walk to the car because of pain and swelling. It is

interesting that both these women have the same physical problem and the same results of

this problem, since they are related it may be a learned result. However, both SMW and RMC

indicated that if they did not have to physically be mobile they would be interested in long

term employment.

The employment problems for AEW are more intense. AEW suffered a stroke at the

young age of 38. Due to this stroke she has limited cognitive and mobility functions. She

suffers from short term memory loss. However, AEW is able to use a cellular telephone and


computer to control her daily schedule, set reminders for things such as shopping, and

generally fill in the gaps of short term memory. Basic problems solving is an issue for AEW,

but general relationship building and communication is not difficult. She is a friendly person,

but has difficulty remembering and learning due to her stroke. AEW also has some limited

mobility; she can walk and move but is unable to lift properly due to her stroke.

While not all experiences of the participants are the same, all indicate that if they were

able to overcome their limitations and indicated barriers (transportation and mobility) they

would seek out employment to earn a living wage.

4.2 THE REGIONAL LABOR POOL

The OED (2012a) Workforce and Economic Research 2011 Benchmark for Douglas

County Oregon reports that the local nonfarm payroll enrollment of January, 2012 is 33,220

persons. 19,360 jobs are assessed in the service producing area, which can include leisure,

financial activities, and retail. This segment contains 6,260 persons in trade, transportation

and utilities, with 4,180 being in retail trade. Government is the second largest segment of

labor with 7,860 persons and the largest government segment is in local and tribal

government with 5,370 employees. The labor segment has 6,000 jobs in the good production

area including mining, logging, wood production, and other manufacturing. Another

important labor segment is education and health services which contain 4,480 persons across

hospitals, doctor’s offices, schools, and college or other training facilities. Fifteen new small

businesses opened between January and February of 2012. These new businesses a candle

store, cab service, childcare, 3 restaurants, salon, car customization, books store, art gallery,

child store, 2 coffee houses, antique store, and saloon. This is aligned with the labor segment

description with the majority of new job development in Douglas County in services.


No new manufacturing facilities or developments are assessed in this OED

publication. No major industry lost more than 500 jobs, which is a positive view over

previous years when some major industries, like timber, laid of thousands in a single year.

For all of Oregon the economy is in an upturn, with 20,000 fewer unemployed persons than

2011. Employment is on the rise for 2012, with the majority of new jobs across Oregon being

found in manufacturing (+1,700), trade, transportation and utilities (+1,300), education and

health (+1,200) and 1,100 in financial services. The economic upturn in the first quarter of

2012 shows significant promise for the labor pool of the local area. The trends for labor in

Douglas County are similar to the trends in labor for the whole State of Oregon.

OED (n.d.) shows that Oregon’s economic history had expansion in the early 2000’s,

but then slumped drastically after 2005. The future economic growth shows a forecasted slow

growth of 1.2 to 1.8% through 2013. This is based on the trends of weak production and

strong service provision industries. There is an expectation of increased labor trends through

2015, with new job creation as the economy continues to improve gradually combined with a

need to replace existing workers in the labor pool due to retirement. Oregon is expecting

245,000 new job creation by 2014. The state will experience about 400,000 job openings due

to workers permanently leaving occupations through retirement, relocation, or job change.

For Douglas County specifically an estimated 20% of the population was over the age of 55

in 2005 and therefore will be of retirement age by 2015. This indicates that 6,417 persons will

be retired or out of the labor pool within the next 3 years. Combine this with the trend of

economic growth expectations to perhaps an upwards of almost 2% in 2013 which would

equal about 600 new jobs for Douglas County. Combined with the 6,400 expected retirees

for the region, there is a potential for 7,000 new jobs in Douglas Country by 2015. The

majority of these jobs are forecasted to be in mining (23%), utilities (22%), education (21%),

real estate (21%), transportation & warehousing (20%), and general services (19%). Only


about 10% of these job openings will be in hospitality, leisure, and food services because

there are not a large number of employees over 55 in the hospitality industry. In summation,

the workforce is ageing, and combining a slowly increasing economy with a quickly

decreasing labor pool has the ability to increase a demand on labor supply. In a

microeconomic economy of scale perspective this reduces the average availability and

leverages the advantages of the labor pool to the needs and desires of the workforce. The

restriction on the labor supply means that employers may have a problem finding special job

related skills. This is a repeated scenario of 1995, where rapid job growth was mingled with

4.9% unemployment. Similarly, the labor pool will in the near future will be characterized by

skilled workers in the local geography with low availability.

OED (2012b, 2012c) strongly supports the ‘greening’ of the economy.

Environmentally sound industry, manufacturing, and other occupations are labor trends tht

create green jobs in Oregon. Green jobs are those that increase energy efficiency, produce

renewable energy, reduce degradation, restore the environment, and jobs which educate,

certify or otherwise support these areas of occupation. 43,148 green jobs were created across

4,339 employers in 2010-making up 3% of the total workforce. An interesting concept of this

labor area is that the green jobs are split between no degree and post-secondary degree

requirements. 44% of green jobs had no predetermined degree requirement, but 30% required

some related work experience. Southern Oregon counts for 11% of all green jobs—of which

there are 43,000, so almost 5,000 jobs in Southern Oregon (which includes Douglas County).

While Portland and Multnomah, northwestern Oregon regions, are expected to experience the

largest upwards trends, there is a strong potential for increases in employment for the

Southern Oregon region. There is an expected 1% decline of green jobs in 2012, but there are

also expected gains in green jobs for management, production, building and grounds

maintenance, and environment protection. The total gains for these job categories is 1,116


expected jobs. The 1% job loss is expected to mainly be in farming, fishing, and forestry (-

530), sciences (-528), and installation (-504). Installation includes concepts like solar power

for homes, sciences includes social and physical sciences like botany. So this trend seems to

be that while an overall decline of about 1,500 jobs, 1/3 of which require post-secondary

education, there are about 1100 new jobs in the skilled labor area that are not likely to require

postsecondary education. This may mean that the green market segment has trended from one

of research and development (how to do what we need to do to protect the environment) to

manufacturing, management, and labor. It is also important to note that green jobs currently

pay more, on the average about 4.00$ per hour more, with starting wages predominantly over

$15.00 per hour.

This section of the case study will examine the vital skills that can be forecasted for

the upcoming labor pool as entry jobs with some experience but not post-secondary

education. Due to the economic and disability hardships such as movement, mobility, and

illness the interviewees noted in attending long term schooling, postsecondary education was

not included in the table below. Table 1 shows that retail, wholesale sales, and supervisory

positions are expected to have the highest openings and relatively higher pay. Food services

segments also have high openings, but minimum wage pay that would not truly encourage a

lifestyle change for disabled women in poverty.

Table 3 2012 Openings and Pay (OED, 2012d)

On the job training

Openings

Pay Some Experience Necessary

Openings

Pay

Retail Salespersons

2,559 $12.48 Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales

707 $28.35

Cashiers 2,078 $11.08 Supervisors and Managers of Office

706 $23.61


Waiters and Waitresses (Lic.)

2,042 $12.54 Teacher Assistants 636 $17.45

Food Prep and Service

1,759 $9.71 Supervisors Retail 603 $19.17

Office Clerks, General

1,248 $14.70 Supervisors Food Serving 397 $15.51

Laborers and Freight

1,213 $13.34 Sales Representatives; Technical and Scientific

236 $46.91

Customer Service

1,152 $15.92 Supervisors Construction Trades

215 $31.19

Janitors and Cleaners

967 $12.21 Supervisors Production 210 $26.01

Counter Attendants in Cafeterias

943 $9.92 Supervisors Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

182 $29.82

Farmworkers

936 $10.19 Supervisors Non-Retail Sales Workers

165 $35.64

Receptionists

712 $12.83 Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

153 $20.38

Secretaries 653 $15.89 Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors

143 $17.62

Stock Clerks 612 $12.88 Supervisors Vehicle Operators

115 $27.21

Cooks, 605 $11.92 Supervisors Personal Service Workers

100 $16.76

Food Service Managers 97 $25.35

4.3 VITAL SKILLS

The majority of upper wage job levels in no experience and some experience

necessary categories shown in Table 1, above, exemplify the need for supervisory,

communication, organization, and customer relationships (service and sales) skills. Similarly,

the OED (2012, n.d) examines that the future constriction of the availability of skilled labor

will be especially tight in necessary skills that employers consistently seek experience and

prior training to fill their labor supply needs. Basic and soft skills include reliability,

timeliness, integrity, work ethic, and communication. Employers also consistently seek

employees with technical or hard skills. Hard skills are most often in computing, typing,


software navigation, math, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving. Occupation

specific skills that are consistent for Oregon occupations include welding, machining, vehicle

and heavy equipment operations, and nursing. Leadership, management, and supervisory

skills are also imperative to the labor supply needs of Oregon employers.

The top skills ranked by Oregon employers through 2014 include the ability to

process files and organize forms, as general record keeping. The ability to apply basic math

and solve ratios, algebra, and measurement is a second most reported skill. The third reported

vital skill is the ability to provide customer service and fourth, to work as a team member is

followed by the vital skill of being able to follow directions and use a computer.

4.4 SUMMARY

All participants indicated that if their unique issues could be overcome, they would be

willing to enter the labor pool and earn a living wage for their family. Even the most

distressed of the participants indicated a willingness to do so, but an inability to understand

where to go, what to do, and how to do it. The participants limited by mental health issues

had suffered consistent abuse, and both felt worthless or fearful when trying to navigate

social services for help. The women with physical limitations all noted that there was not

enough support in overcoming mobility issues in finding a job that is handicapped accessible.

The labor pool is changing, and employers across a variety of occupations are going

to require new employees. The trend in the green economy and retirement shows that there

will be increased labor needs in manufacturing, supervising, services, and sales (retail and

wholesale). The vital skills necessary to fill these jobs include soft skills, such as

professionalism, and hard skills, such as computer navigation.


CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 PREPARING DISABLED WOMEN IN POVERTY WITH VITAL SKILLS TO IMPROVE

THE LOCAL LABOR POOL

The case study narrative shows that women with disabilities have unique individual

requirements for entering the labor pool. Some women need support that recognizes their

mental health issue and integrates healthcare access into a supportive social services

environment so that these women do not feel devalued. Some women require an examination

of their physical limitations and a method for fitting their unique physical limitations into a

skills training program. All of the women have the basic ability to read, write, and build

customer service types of relationships. However, some of the women would have difficulty

doing so in a face to face environment. Therefore, women with disabilities require

individualized attention to programs that build vital skills for the labor pool.

The barriers to workforce participation of the participants echo that of the literature

review. Feeling of worthlessness or as a second class citizen do to poverty exasperates an

already delicate mental health state. Inability to physically access healthcare or even to shop

due to physical disabilities prevents some women from workforce participation. Childcare,

basic utilities (to shower, eat hot food), and transportation are also important considerations

for women in poverty with mental and physical disabilities. The barriers of low healthcare

access, low mobility, and inability to navigate social services adequately to advocate for self-

training and increase workforce participation are barriers that consistently prevent positive

impacts on mental and physical health for this demographic.

The barriers to economic advancement for some participants seem to be the ability to

access skills training. All participants seemed eager, but either due to a mental status or

physical capacity were unable to commit to skills training attendance and commit to


advancing their individual economic situations through workforce participation. The barriers

of education and skillset building are predominantly the ability to access services for

education and skillset building, without being limited by neglect of individual disability by

social services. These women seem to be consistently falling through the cracks of multiple

social services, not just in recognizing a disability but in adequately provisioning a system of

support rather than judgment, of education and training rather than permanent poverty level

income allocation of TANF and SSI. This is a barrier to increasing skills as TANF

participants (TEW (prior), MRP, SEW) are not permitted access to training programs that

they are mentally and physically capable of attending.

Women with disabilities want to have a positive impact on their lives, families,

workforce participation and economic status. However, feelings of inadequacy and anxiety

prevent some of the participants from attending training, filling out an application, and

participating in the workforce. Mobility and memory problems are physical limitations for

other participants. All participants have children, and several participants still have

dependents at home; therefore it is important from a future and global economic perspective

to support their advancement. Women with jobs who overcome obstacles to support their

families are not only workforce and economy participants, but they are breaking the cycle of

workforce and economy non-participation. The skills vital to the workforce are the soft skills

that TEW, SMW, RMC, & MAH are capable of gaining or currently have. These skills

include integrity, work ethic, and communication, problem solving, organization and critical

thinking. MRP has difficulty with communication and customer service, while AEW has

difficulty with organizing, memory, and critical thinking.


5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

A model that can be developed to triangulate disabilities, workforce participation, and

vital skills development begins with individual acknowledgement and recognition of the

disability and history of women with disabilities. It is almost unconscionable, from a global

economy perspective, that social services have since 1973 (Rosenman, 1973) maintained

women with disabilities as a class of consistent poverty. Social services not only relegates an

income of poverty, but some social services outright prevent recognition of disabilities in

relationship to workforce participation, especially TANF. This creates a non-participation

subclass of citizens like MRP who cannot receive aid and feel too fearful and worthless to

even consider reaching out of the poverty class. The individual disability and its limitations

must be recognized before it is overcome.

The second component of this model is to accelerate the unique qualities of each

woman to build mental health support and to reduce the impact of physical limitations by

leveraging a technological environment. This means that an entity that seeks to improve the

status of women must be willing to reach out to this demographic and encourage participation

through emotional support (not clinical mental health support) of their education and

increased handicapped accessibility. The ability to increase vital skills for this demographic

of women is largely based on what these women can do, rather than what they cannot do.

With today’s technological environment, skills training can be encouraged through the

Internet and even take-home videos. This removes the limitation of physicality. This may

also reduce anxiety and mental health strain by offering skills training in basic skills

(professionalism, organization, communication, customer service) via electronic mediums.

This would also include the provisioning of electronic devices for disabled women, which has

an increased upfront cost but a significant future impact on the labor pool and local economy

that is much higher than the current cost.


The third component is to support the labor pool and economy by building a

workforce by allocating the appropriate resources required for successful training and

development. In business, project management theory consistently states that people can not

commit to nor complete a project without the adequate and proper physical and knowledge

based resources. Access to these resources is imperative for women with disabilities in

poverty. If these six women were given a basic netbook (average retail, 250$), access to

support programs, and supported by social services in doing so, the upfront cost may be

several thousand dollars. However, consider that these skills apply to jobs with higher wages;

women with disabilities earning $27,000 per year in the workforce have more significant

economic reach than those earning $8,200 per year on SSI or TANF. Women who are given

an opportunity may not feel as judged by social services, as noted by several participants that

TANF does not give them the opportunity to find an appropriate skills and training that fits

into their needs of mental and physical capabilities.

The model therefore can be summarized as having three main components, building a

pyramid:

Table 4 Model

Identify and Encourage

Accelerate and

Leverage

Vital Skills For the

Labor Pool

Resource Access


It is recommended that future research to build on the three components of this model

include psychological research into the realm of mental disability recognition and physical

disability impacts on mental health in accessing healthcare and social services. Business

research, in the future, can examine best fit scenarios of skills training over the technological

environment to support and accelerate the labor supply. This can further improve on a model

for improving and preparing vital skills for women with disabilities in poverty to encourage a

skilled labor pool and improve the regional economy.


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Cronin, K., Schneidawind, J. Hanna, C. & Genson, S. (2007). Women and Social Security

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http://www.actuary.org/pdf/socialsecurity/women_07.pdf

DFN (2009). Disability Funder's Network. Disability Stats and Facts. Retrieved April 29th,

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Poverty, Disability, Education, and Labor Skills: Interviews with Women in Rural Oregon