II. Survey Instrument
A survey instrument developed by the Oregon Health Policy Institute was modified to produce “The Employment Barriers Survey #4” used for this study. The modified survey contained 49 questions, 27 of which were closed-ended, 12 questions required a “yes/no” response, five questions used a “fill-in-the-blank” format, and three questions were open-ended (See Appendix A).
The overall objective of the survey was to gather information from people with disabilities of working age who received personal care assistance services regarding their experiences and concerns about employment to better understand the barriers that prevent these people from obtaining and maintaining employment. To fully understand the circumstances and factors that contribute to the unemployment of individuals with disabilities, the survey was designed to gather information across a number of themes. First, general demographic information and the health status of the population were explored. Second, respondents were asked to provide information regarding the status of their current employment and their employment preferences. Third, respondents provided information about employment barriers and their usage of employment supports including vocational rehabilitation services, assistive devices, and personal care assistance services.
