(Press-News.org) Amsterdam, February 25, 2021 - COVID-19 has wrought havoc on the global economy and the world's public health systems. People with disabilities are more likely to suffer severe cases of the disease. Experts advocate in this special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation that vocational rehabilitation across the major life phases of health, work, and education must focus on access to technology and home-based employment and ensure people with disabilities are prepared for the new global workplace.
To date, 500,000 Americans who have acquired COVID-19 have died, making it the current leading cause of death in the United States with over 2.4 million deaths worldwide. Individuals with some types of disabilities, especially those with multiple disadvantages, and depending on race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, and gender, have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic. They are more likely to acquire COVID-19 than the general population and more likely to experience severe or fatal symptoms. They are also affected by the changes in the workplace.
This special issue highlights research and scholarship that address important implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath for the disability community and for rehabilitation professionals. It is guest-edited by Phillip D. Rumrill, Jr., PhD, CRC, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; Lynn C. Koch, PhD, CRC, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR; and David R. Strauser, PhD, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL.
In the United States, all non-essential personnel whose employment was not terminated began working remotely from home in March 2020. However, individuals with developmental disabilities employed in community jobs during this time experienced several barriers. Most of these individuals work in entry level positions such as restaurant and retail jobs, and these were some of the first industries to shut their doors during the pandemic. This population experienced a greater likelihood of being out of work and without pay early in the pandemic.
"The experience of disability and how work is conducted in the American economy are undergoing new shifts in response to the pandemic," explained the co-Guest Editors. "The nature of work has changed dramatically during the pandemic, and it may remain altered for many years to come. There are fewer available jobs due to business closings in many sectors of the economy, however, there are more jobs available in other sectors such as technology, information processing, healthcare, food preparation and delivery, and manufacturing."
"Many people with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19, and self-isolation to protect themselves from contracting the virus can lead to loneliness and despair," noted co-Guest Editor Phillip D. Rumrill, Jr. "Vocational rehabilitation responses during the pandemic must focus on access to technology and home-based employment, as well as the need for people with disabilities to avoid contracting the virus."
Articles in this issue address considerations for individuals with developmental disabilities across health, work, and education, such as:
The effects the pandemic has had on employment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Results of a COVID-era survey revealing significant levels of worry about health and job loss among people with disabilities and other health conditions
The employment impact of the pandemic on Americans with multiple sclerosis and differences in the employment experiences and concerns of Latinx Americans and Caucasian Americans with multiple sclerosis, applied to the current global public health crisis
Understanding the impact of isolation and social distancing among working-age adults with spinal cord injuries
Validity and clinical utility of a scale to measure work adjustment among people with disabilities during COVID-19
Differential service patterns and employment outcomes among transition-age youth with learning disabilities who received services from the state-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation program, including a discussion of the COVID implications of their findings
Impact of universal design, a set of strategies that creates places and resources that are accessible to all
"The pandemic has activated and intensified the technology gap, as people with disabilities often lack access to needed technology, and as rehabilitation services need to be administered virtually," commented co-Guest Editor Lynn C. Koch, PhD, CRC. "Vocational rehabilitation professionals have had to help consumers secure unemployment benefits and other support such as food security, rent subsidy, and childcare. Managing employment while having other family responsibilities, like children studying at home, has also been a challenge."
"We expect the US and global economies to rebound significantly in 2021," added co-Guest Editor David R. Strauser, PhD. "Challenges will focus on making sure people with disabilities are prepared for the new global workplace and the changed nature of work."
"Vocational rehabilitation professionals have learned to deliver high quality services virtually," concluded the Guest Editors, "The next steps are for technology to be used to promote worker productivity, and for employers to recognize that work can be done remotely in many cases. In the post-COVID recovery, all available workers will be needed to get the economy restarted. This will include people with disabilities."
INFORMATION:
People's teeth-chattering experiences in the dentist's chair could be improved by fresh insights into how tiny, powerful bubbles are formed by ultra-fast vibrations, a study suggests.
The physics of how so-called nanobubbles are generated could have a range of clinical and industrial applications, including in dental hygiene devices used to remove plaque, experts say.
The findings could also inform the development of other technologies - such as devices to selectively target tumour cells - that harness the energy released when the bubbles burst.
Engineers at the University of Edinburgh ran complex ...
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But in East Africa, natural resource managers have been slow to use climate information services, partly because they are difficult to understand and may not feel relevant for their local planning purposes. A new study published by the journal Risk Analysis suggests that one way to encourage policymakers in East Africa to use climate services more often is to appeal to the motivational factors that influence their professional actions on climate change.
Researchers ...
Materials impossible to obtain with existing methods can be produced using a solid, nanostructured silica solvent. Scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow presented an innovative approach to the production of substances with unique physical and chemical properties.
A team of physicists from Cracow (Poland) has succeeded in developing a flexible method for producing sol¬id, two-dimensional silica solvents to produce materials with unique optical, magnetic and structural properties. The term "solid solvent" here means a substance which, when immersed in a solution of the appropriate ...
Herndon, Va. (February 24, 2021) - Insurance policy premiums from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) allow policyholders to maintain a lower, grandfathered rate even when the risk escalates. But as coastal flooding increases due to rising sea level and more intense storms, new research published in the journal Risk Analysis suggests this grandfathered policy could lead to big losses for the NFIP.
A team of experts led by Carolyn Kousky, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, studied the effect of sea level rise on a New York City neighborhood to illustrate how grandfathered rates could impact both policyholder premiums and program revenue for the NFIP over the next 30 years. Their results project losses ...
Woods Hole, Mass. (February 25, 2021) -- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries have released the first broad scale synthesis of available information derived from right whale health assessment techniques. The manuscript published today in the science journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, reviews available tools, and current understanding of the health status and trends of individual whales and the species. The paper concludes with recommendations for additional information needs and necessary ...
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Hemodialysis patients routinely experience side effects such as fatigue, lightheadedness and nausea during their treatment sessions. But patients in a study who used a virtual reality program to engage in a mindfulness/meditation exercise reported that these treatment-related symptoms were greatly reduced.
Patients in the study wore a head-mounted virtual reality display to participate in a 25-minute mindfulness/meditation intervention called Joviality, a fully immersive experience that transported them to settings away from the clinic.
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Despite strides in family-leave offerings, and men taking a greater role in parenting, women in academia still experience about a 20% drop in productivity after having a child, while their male counterparts generally do not, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.
The study, published Feb. 24 in the journal Science Advances, suggests that persistent differences in parenting roles are the key reason that men tend to publish more research papers than women. Because publishing is closely linked to promotion, this gap could have long-term impacts on what academia looks like in the future.
The researchers also found that while parental leave is critically important for women seeking faculty positions, 43% of institutions have ...
Loss of smell or olfactory dysfunction is an early indication of the neurodegenerative Alzheimer's disease (AD) and appears in approximately 90% of all patients. While loss of smell is a major symptom, patients with AD are only unable to recognize specific odors and do not completely lose their sense of smell; this suggests a possible region-specific involvement of the olfactive center in the brain. Amyloid β (Aβ), a toxic protein that accumulates in the brain is a known contributing factor in AD pathogenesis and is also present in the olfactory system that controls the sense of smell. ...
Benefits of team building exercises jeopardised if not truly voluntary
Employees who like to keep their work and private lives separate may want to avoid team-building exercises
Study shows why some colleagues hate compulsory team bonding
Spending time with people you aren't close could be more effective than general team bonding exercises
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EUGENE, Ore. -- Feb. 25, 2021 -- When the pungent smell of rotting food sends a person running, that disgusted feeling is an evolved response that helps avoid exposure to pathogens, say University of Oregon anthropologists.
In a project that blended anthropology, biology and psychology, UO researchers explored disgust behaviors among Ecuador's indigenous Shuar people. Those living in the most market-integrated households were found to have the highest levels of disgust sensitivity.
The research was detailed in a paper published online Feb. 23 ahead of print ...
