Jamie O’Mally, PhD

 Purpose  Employment Climate  Importance of Mentoring  Design & Procedures  Sample  Preliminary Results  Future Analyses & Products  Lessons Learned

 National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) RRTC Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals who are Blind and Visually Impaired ( )  Mentoring is 1 of 6 projects

Does working closely with a mentor improve postgraduate employment outcomes for college students who are legally blind?

 Degree = JOB… Right?? Competitive job market  Disparities in Employment Rates Transition youth with VI are just as likely to attend post-secondary schools but still less likely to be employed than youth in the general population. 72.6% without disabilities 38.2% with VI (only ~1/3 full time)

Students who are blind have the highest rate of college attendance among students with disabilities, but many have difficulty finding employment after graduating. 6

 Think back to when you were preparing to graduate and find a job. What were some of the challenges you faced?

 May lack on-the-job experience  May have inaccurate perception of what specific careers require on a day-to-day basis  May lack a clear understanding of how blindness could impact job seeking activities and job performance 8

Mentors serve as a guide in a structured, one-on-one relationship with a younger adult who is preparing to graduate and enter the workforce.

 Develop job search and interview skills  Provide information and advice  Serve as role models  Increase student confidence  Offer networking and job shadowing opportunities

Eligibility Consent Random Assignment Intervention Group Pre-Test 6-Month Post-Test Paired with Mentor Online Orientation Mentoring Manual Monthly Reports Comparison Group Resource Sheet Quarterly Reports

 Students Legally blind, living in the U.S. Under age 35 Close to graduation Seeking employment  Professionals Legally blind, living in the U.S. Currently employed or recently retired  Thanks to those who helped!!

 One-on-one interactions  Incentives for students  Development of career goals  Access to career materials  Assist with research that seeks to benefit students who are blind

 It’s not easy!!  Database of mentors Profession & geographic location  Networking (aka- Scrambling!) “Distance group”- subset

StudentsMentors N51 (26 intervention, 25 Comparison) 25 (132 eligible) Age26.9, (20-36)49.1, (27-64) Gender62.7% F, 37.3% M64% F, 36% M Status72.5% undergrad 27.5% grad 80% employed 20% retired

Think of people in your life who may have served as a mentor to you, formally or informally.

 Accommodation planning  Blindness and low vision skills  Disclosure  Social skills  Transportation  Transfer of technology skills  Career counseling  Job shadowing  Job seeking skills  Job placement assistance

 Participate for one year  3 hours a month face-to-face  Biweekly contact  Job shadowing  Activity reports  Engage in discussion topics & activities 21

 Full data currently available only for C1-C3 Cohort 4 - January 2015  Job-Seeking Self-Efficacy Analysis includes only pre-test data (N = 51)  Employment Outcomes & Experiences in Program Analyses include only Cohorts 1-3 (N = 23)

 Revised from Barlow, Wright, & Cullen (2002)  14 Items, Confidence in Tasks on a scale of 1-7.  Students tended to give higher ratings of confidence.  Median was 76 out of 98.

 Highest Scores Requesting a job application form (6.14) Working on your own (6.04) Completing a job application form (5.88)  Lowest Scores Telling an employer you have a visual impairment (4.76) In your general interview skills (4.78) In your self- presentation at an interview (4.94)

 Applications & Interviews  Employment Status  Salary/Benefits  Job Fit  Job Satisfaction

 Applications: M = 14, (Range 0-80) Phone Interviews: M = 2, (Range 0-15) In-person Interviews: M = 2, (Range 0-10)  Employed: 12 Yes, 11 No Hours: 40hrs, (2 people: 36 & 20 hours) Salary: Median $32,000 ($13,000-52,000) Insurance: All except one

 Satisfaction (scale of 1 to 5) I am content at my job. (3.58) My job is enjoyable. (4.08)  Job Fit (scale of 1 to 10) My job matches my education level. (7.58) My job matches my interests. (7)  Medians >means.

 High participant retention Only 2 pairs withdrew  Program benefit  Plan to stay in touch  Sample success story

 Many paths to employment  Be realistic and work hard  How to disclose a disability  How to develop a resume and cover letter  Interview and disclosure practice  Dealing with stress in the workplace  Work/life balance

 Future Analyses All 4 cohorts Group comparisons Other measures (Assertiveness, Career Optimism)  Products Mentoring Manual Resource Sheet Employment Prep Listserv Video clips on NTAC

 More group interaction  Age/graduation criteria is limiting  Graduation plans change…  What matters most? Location, Disability, Profession?

Jamie O’Mally, Project webpage: