'I Don't Think They've Ever Seen People Like Me Do Jobs Like This': Exploring Hope Within Strengths-Based Employment Services for People With Disability.
Kelly Carr-Kirby, Sean Horton, Chad A Sutherland and 2 others
PMID 41177549WHAT IT FOUND
Employees with intellectual disabilities and their colleagues described strengths-based hiring as working because it treats them as valuable resources, not charity.
Participants reported that seeing colleagues exceed expectations shifted their assumptions about disability, fostering confidence and inclusive workplace cultures.
Key findings
01Participants identified that strengths-based employment works by having employees with intellectual disabilities act as valuable human resources who complete necessary tasks, rather than being hired for charitable reasons.
02Working alongside colleagues with intellectual disabilities who exceeded expectations led employers and co-workers to change their implicit assumptions about disability, moving from a deficit-focused view to recognizing ability.
03Employees with intellectual disabilities reported increased confidence in their abilities and their sense of self, which they attributed to supportive interactions with employers and co-workers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The agencies did not intentionally ground their services in a Strengths and Hope framework; these perspectives emerged organically, so the results may not reflect a formally implemented model. The study did not include employment support staff, administrators, or family members, who are key stakeholders in vocational outcomes. As a qualitative study, it describes experiences and perceptions but does not measure employment retention rates, wage outcomes, or other objective metrics.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported shifts in employer attitudes or employee confidence as evidence that strengths-based services objectively improve job retention or productivity metrics. This is a qualitative study of perceptions and experiences, not a controlled trial of employment outcomes.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →