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BACKGROUND: With incidence and prevalence rates of asthma diagnoses steadily increasing in the United States and worldwide over the past 30 years, people with asthma are an emerging vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumer population. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the job acquisition and return to work considerations facing employees with asthma. METHOD: Following an overview of the etiology, incidence, prevalence, and career development implications of this chronic respiratory disease, the authors present career preparatory and return to work recommendations to meet the needs of Americans with asthma across the phases of the VR process. RESULTS: The importance of access to quality healthcare, lifestyle and environmental modifications to promote respiratory health, employer consultation, workplace accommodations and universal design, and interface with medical and mental health professionals is emphasized throughout the article. CONCLUSION: Asthma is an emerging disability that disproportionally affects people of color and people who live in poverty. Rehabilitation professionals must be prepared to meet the needs of this growing and diverse clientele as people with asthma seek assistance from the VR program in acquiring, maintaining, and advancing in meaningful, satisfying employment.

BACKGROUND: Research has long documented the low cost and effectiveness of most workplace accommodations to enable qualified people with disabilities to seek, secure, and maintain employment. OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: RETAIN Kentucky’s return to work and stay at work intervention involves focused training for participants on requesting needed accommodations from their employers. RESULTS: In this article, we describe the win-win approach to reasonable accommodations, which serves as the basis for helping Kentuckians with disabilities identify and request on-the-job supports to aid in their efforts to remain in the workforce. CONCLUSIONS: Workers with disabilities are more likely to stay in the workforce and continue making valuable contributions to the national and global economies if they have effective accommodations and other employment supports available to them.

This article discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the American workforce, symptoms of Long COVID syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, and ways to avoid triggering its symptoms when sanitizing the workplace and using Universal Design practices to increase accessibility and decrease transmission of COVID-19 among workers. Interface with healthcare providers, rehabilitation professionals, and employers is emphasized.

To combat high dropout rates and low motivation for online courses, we gamified a history of science course. To do so, we used an online educational program called 3DGameLab to convert what had been a well-liked face-to-face lecture and discussion course to an online format, for the purposes of long-distance teaching and learning. Within 3DGameLab, we prepared approximately three times as much content as would be taught in a face-to-face class. Clear tasks and immediate rewards in the form of experience points (XP) contributed to a transparent motivational system as compared to traditional grading. In this course, students completed their assignments asynchronously. Sustaining engagement is challenging in this format due to student self-management, but, with the game mode, students could repeat their attempts to pass a quest (a lesson) until they succeed (submit a passable response). The feedback cycle was short, and we found that students tend to persevere in the face of failure when they get rapid feedback, rather than quit. To test the adaptability of the asynchronous, gamified format, we also designed this course as a hybrid course. Students remained engaged when the feedback was quick, and the tasks were clearly set. We did not perform a quantitative study; the purpose of this article is to share a design study of our methods and subsequent experience with these modalities.

BACKGROUND: The experience of disability and of how work is conducted in the American economy is undergoing new shifts in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic This unique space in time provides an opportunity to re-examine the importance of universal design (UD) as a way to respond to a workforce that is growing more diverse and living longer with disabilities UD is a set of strategies that creates places and resources that are accessible to all and considers the needs and wants of people from the outset Through the use of UD, work environments can be more accessible and useable to all employees OBJECTIVE: This article describes the changes in the experience of disability within the context of COVID-19 and defines UD and UD for learning principles We then consider how UD reduces stigma and reduces the need for individual accommodations while promoting inclusivity and improving productivity in the workplace CONCLUSION: We offer strategies for embedding UD into vocational rehabilitation from pre-professional training to practice, all with a new sense of urgency and opportunity that is present as a result of COVID-19 © 2021 - IOS Press All rights reserved

PurposeThe profession of rehabilitation counseling has long been responsive to emerging disabilities. To date, however, the profession's attention and response to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States has been incommensurate with the scope and detriment of opioids and opioid use disorder (OUD) on Americans with disabilities. The opioid crisis, including the overuse, abuse, and overdose rates associated with prescription and illegal opioids, affects people of all ages and backgrounds. However, people with disabilities are at increased risk for developing OUDs, and they experience greater barriers to OUD treatment than people without disabilities.MethodThis article describes the origins and development of this crisis, the relationship between disability and increased risk for OUD, and the barriers to treatment that exist. We then evaluate the role of rehabilitation counseling, including the need for further action in advocacy, research, education, and policy.Results and ConclusionsThroughout this article, we encourage a more urgent and concerted response than seems to be the case presently.

BackgroundIn this study, investigators examined the employment discrimination experiences of older workers (55 and over) with multiple sclerosis (MS) in comparison to younger adult workers with MS.ObjectiveTo examine age as a differential indicator of demographic characteristics of the Charging Parties, the discrimination issues alleged to occur, and the legal outcome of allegation investigations.MethodsThe study utilized data from the Integrated Mission System of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).ResultsFindings indicate that allegations filed by older Charging Parties with MS were more likely to come from Whites and Native Americans/Alaskan Natives. Allegations filed by older Charging Parties were less likely to come from African Americans. Allegations filed by older workers were less likely to involve reasonable accommodations and more likely to involve issues related to demotion. No significant differences were observed related to the types of case resolutions between the two groups.ConclusionsResults suggest that many of the workplace discrimination experiences of people with MS are common across age groups, indicating that the very presence of MS is likely the most salient factor in the discrimination experiences of Americans with MS. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

A new biography celebrates the contributions of the adventurous and impactful Egyptologist

In this article we present the results of a needs assessment evaluating the employment-based needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), from the perspectives of self-advocates, their families and care givers, and IDD service providers in a primarily rural state. Participants were recruited through statewide distribution of a questionnaire about key issues and barriers to employment. A total of 467 adults participated. Employment was identified as a top concern across the groups. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the qualitative comments provided by respondents about their employment needs. The results were generally consistent with prior research among Americans with IDD, in that employer expectations, transportation barriers, disability benefits, limited opportunities to develop employment skills, and broader economic factors influencing the community were identified as key issues. However, the results demonstrate the magnified impact of these barriers in rural areas, particularly rural areas facing economic challenges. The results of this needs assessment are discussed in terms of the broad national implications, and in terms of the local process of engaging multiple stakeholder groups to identify potential solutions.

People with disabilities experience vast employment inequities. People with disabilities are at heightened risk of both unemployment and underemployment. Economic stability is one of the five social determinants of health domains. Given its pivotal role in both accessing wages and health insurance benefits, employment is directly tied to economic stability. As such, the working status of people with physical and mental disabilities is of concern to public health. In this chapter, we examine the role public health professionals can play in employment and workforce development. We first introduce the connections between disability and work, provide a brief history of societal changes in employment expectations, address the various systems that can be involved in achieving successful employment, and consider work from a universal design perspective.

Higher education is increasingly becoming an option for young adults with intellectual disability (ID). Although initial evaluations of postsecondary education for this population have been promising, a broader "quality of life" framework needs to be adopted in order to truly understand the impact of these programs. Moreover, researchers and program evaluators must collect longitudinal data that follows former students for multiple years and uses multiple measures. We conducted a pilot evaluation of the life outcomes of students who had attended at least two semesters in Kentucky's supported higher education program for students with ID, collecting data on life status and experiences using measures from the National Core Indicators-Adult Consumer Survey. The findings from this pilot study show better outcomes for young adults who participated in a postsecondary education program compared to young adults who did not, but these findings need to be considered in light of several limitations. In many respects, our data provided more new questions than answers. Recommendations for collecting and evaluating broad-based, longitudinal data to gain insight into the potential benefits of postsecondary education for people with intellectual disability are discussed.

Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to thrive requires careful consideration of multiple avenues of community involvement. Yet little attention has focused on the place of faith community participation in the lives of adults with IDD. We examined attendance at religious services using National Core Indicator data for a sample of 12,706 adults with IDD residing in 24 states. Almost half of adults (48.3%) reported attending a religious service in the past month, and more than one third (34.6%) attended 3 or more times. Religious involvement varied considerably based on a variety of individual (e.g., race, disability type, behavioral support needs, communication mode) and contextual factors (e.g., geographic locale, residential type). Moreover, monthly involvement in religious activities was much less common than participation in other community activities (i.e., exercise, entertainment, eating out, shopping). We offer recommendations for supporting the spiritual lives of adults with IDD, as well as highlight areas for future research and practice.

Postsecondary education (PSE) is increasingly becoming an option for students with intellectual disability (ID; Grigal & Hart, 2012). Postsecondary education offers the promise of pursuing a valued social role (that of college student), enhanced social networks, and, most significantly, increased employment options. To date, research and practice in the area of transition to PSE for students with ID has focused primarily upon the sending (public school systems) and receiving (colleges or universities) agencies (Oertle & Bragg, 2014; Thoma et al., 2011). Yet adults with ID often require ongoing supports through state and federally funded developmental disability waivers, and agency providers of waiver services have, for the most part, not been part of this vital conversation. This study represents an exploratory study of directors of developmental disability provider agencies in one midwestern state to assess their knowledge of PSE for individuals with ID. A total of 87 directors responded; quantitative results are presented and, based on these findings, we provide implications for the future.

Background In 2009 the I-PASS Study Group was formed by patient safety, medical education, health services research, and clinical experts from multiple institutions in the United States and Canada. When the I-PASS Handoff Program, which was developed by the I-PASS Study Group, was implemented in nine hospitals, it was associated with a 30% reduction in injuries due to medical errors and significant improvements in handoff processes, without any adverse effects on provider work flow. Methods To effectively disseminate and adapt I-PASS for use across specialties and disciplines, a series of federally and privately funded dissemination and implementation projects were carried out following the publication of the initial study. The results of these efforts have informed ongoing initiatives intended to continue adapting and scaling the program. Results As of this writing, I-PASS Study Group members have directly worked with more than 50 hospitals to facilitate implementation of I-PASS. To further disseminate I-PASS, Study Group members delivered hundreds of academic presentations, including plenaries at scientific meetings, workshops, and institutional Grand Rounds. Some 3,563 individuals, representing more than 500 institutions in the 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 57 other countries, have requested access to I-PASS materials. Most recently, the I-PASSSM Patient Safety Institute has developed a virtual immersion training platform, mobile handoff observational tools, and processes to facilitate further spread of I-PASS. Conclusion Implementation of I-PASS has been associated with substantial improvements in patient safety and can be applied to a variety of disciplines and types of patient handoffs. Widespread implementation of I-PASS has the potential to substantially improve patient safety in the United States and beyond.

ArgumentThis article explores the history of mummy unwrappings in the West, culminating in Margaret Murray's public unrolling of two mummies in Manchester in 1908. Mummy unwrappings as a practice have shifted often between public spectacles which displayed and objectified exotic artifacts, and scientific investigations which sought to reveal medical and historical information about ancient life. Although others have looked at Murray's work in the context of the history of mummy studies, I argue that her work should be viewed culturally as poised between spectacle and science, drawing morbid public interest while also producing ground-breaking scientific work that continues to this day. Murray's main goal was to excite the interest of the public while at the same time educating them in the true history of ancient Egypt, while ascertaining new scientific information and contributing to the scholarly interpretations of ancient Egypt.

William Matthew Flinders Petrie is considered the father of scientific archaeology and is credited with developing a chronology of Ancient Egypt using the nondescript artefacts that other archaeologists had ignored. He occupied the first chair of Egyptology in England, and was also well-known for the museum built around his personal collection of Egyptian artifacts at University College London. Petrie's archaeological work has been studied by scholars, from various disciplines, for its scholarly, cultural, and historical value, while Petrie's life and career outside of archaeology have been the subject of relatively little study. Petrie himself wrote two life stories: the first, 'Ten Years Digging in Egypt, 1881–1891' (1892), detailed the years before his professorship at UCL; in 1932 he published his second, more complete autobiography, 'Seventy Years in Archaeology'. After he died in 1942 there were various obituaries and memorials that outlined his life and major achievements in archaeology. There was very little written about Petrie the man until 1985, when Margaret Drower's 'Flinders Petrie: A Life in Archaeology' was published; it remains the most comprehensive work on Petrie's life. A thin volume of the correspondence of Hilda and Flinders Petrie also allows a glimpse into life on excavation. In short, much of what is known about Petrie focuses on his excavations in Egypt, his time as Professor of Egyptology at University College London, or the museum that bears his name. Subsequently, as a historical matter, Petrie's work in the discipline of eugenics has rarely been discussed as part of his career.

Students with physical and learning disabilities are choosing to continue their education beyond high school in ever increasing numbers. The quality of education received by these students can be impacted by the knowledge and responsiveness of their postsecondary institution to disability issues. A Web-based survey was conducted at one southeastern land grant university to ascertain: current knowledge levels of eight general disability topics relevant to higher education; ability to obtain services when needed; and day-to-day experiences staff have with people with disabilities. A total of 2130 staff (11 .4% of the total staff employed by the university) representing administrators, instructional employees, and auxiliary services participated in the survey. Results indicate staff have some basic knowledge but may lack access to specific resources when needed. Limitations of this survey methodology are discussed, as well as implications for rehabilitation professionals and researchers interested in Web-base surveying techniques that will build upon this study.

The application of scientific data in the development and implementation of sound public policy is a well-established practice, but there appears to be less consensus on the nature of the strategies that can and should be used to incorporate research data into policy decisions. This paper describes the promise and the challenges of using research evidence to inform public policy. Most specifically, we demonstrate how the application of a large-scale data set, the National Core Indicators (NCI), can be systematically used to drive state-level policy decisions, and we describe a case example of one state's application of NCI data to make significant changes to its Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities waiver. The need for continued research in this area is highlighted.

This study evaluated the specialized housing, transportation, and resource needs and barriers of adults with MS. Information pertaining to barriers and barrier removal strategies related to housing and transportation issues for adults with MS was gathered as part of a national survey of a randomly selected and representative sample of 5082 adults with MS, in cooperation with affiliate chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS). This article presents a qualitative analysis of participants' responses to questions addressing: (a) barriers to obtaining specialized housing and adapted transportation for individuals with MS, (b) factors contributing to maintenance of an independent lifestyle, and (c) information and referral resources pertinent to obtaining specialized housing and adapted transportation. The results provide the first assessment of these issues on a national scale and underscore the need for increased access to professional consultation, financial resources, and housing modification information and resources to enable persons with MS to obtain the specialized housing needed to maintain maximal independent lifestyles.