A Qualitative Study Of A Job Placement System For People With Disabilities: The Role Of The Family, Employer And Employment Agent In Monterrey, Mexico

This study explored the role of the family, employer and agent of employment as determinant to employment for people with disabilities in Monterey, Mexico. The main purpose of this study was to contribute to the equitable integration of people with disabilities into the labor force. The researcher used a case study approach that employed in-depth interviews of 27 participants and grounded theory procedures for data analysis. The key categories and themes that emerged and characterized each case study were cross-cased; the process contributed to the identification of key categories that formed the central tenets that influenced the job placement system. The following acted as a means for conscientization and increasing job offers: (1) lack of culture concerning disability; (2) family values as central to work beliefs and success; (3) an agent of employment as a significant element in the employment integration, and (4) a public campaign.The findings indicated that a potential for improving the current placement system existed by transforming its service delivery from a functionalist model dependent on supply and demand of the market, to a comprehensive approach that acknowledged the supply demands of the market and recognized the role of program participants, the family, employers and society as active collaborators in the placement process. The results underscored the intricacy of a rapid changing culturally and economically rich environment where the effectiveness of the employment process is dependant on the synergy of this environment. All actors involved in the process must be aware of and able to adapt to it. This perspective acknowledged society's influence on the person; an ecological approach is supported therein.