id ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-antioch1552066999409903
record_format oai_dc
spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-antioch15520669994099032021-08-03T07:09:37Z Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations Adams, Kirk Biographies Education Educational Leadership Families and Family Life Individual and Family Studies Minority and Ethnic Groups Multicultural Education Personal Relationships Public Administration Public Health Public Health Education Public Policy Rehabilitation Social Work Special Education Vocational Education Business Community Business Administration Business Costs Business Education Blind Visually Impaired BVI Blind Employment Unemployment Corporations Disabilities PWD Leveraging Differences Diversity Ethnography Success Compensation Agency Identity Formation Accommodations Accessibility Inclusivity Blind and visually impaired people in the United States face a dire employment situation within professional careers and corporate employment. The purpose of this research study was to gain insights into the phenomenon of employment of blind people through analyzing the lived experience of successfully employed blind adults through ethnographic interviews. Previous research has shown that seven out of ten blind adults are not in the workforce, that a large percentage of those who are employed consider themselves underemployed, and that these numbers have not improved over time. Missing from previous research were insights into the conditions leading to successful and meaningful employment for blind adults. My top research questions were: what experiences and relationships were most significant in the lives of successfully employed blind adults in U.S. corporations, and what the most significant factors were, from employers’ perspectives, leading to these successes. Based on semi-structured interviews of 11 blind adults who self-identified as successfully and meaningfully employed in corporate America, I found successfully employed blind adults have largely forged their own paths, with family support, valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities, and a strong sense of agency playing crucial roles. Corporate inclusion of blind employees is in its infancy. The implications for social change revolve around changing societal perceptions of the capabilities of blind people, transforming corporate cultures to ones of integration rather than differentiation, and building family, school, community, and service provider mechanisms to instill a strong sense of agency in young blind people. My recommendations to others are to focus on a leveraging difference framework of diversity and inclusion, in which every individual is valued for their unique characteristics, and make sure that blind people are positioned to be part of this societal transformation. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/, and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/. 2019-03-09 English text Antioch University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1552066999409903 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1552066999409903 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Biographies
Education
Educational Leadership
Families and Family Life
Individual and Family Studies
Minority and Ethnic Groups
Multicultural Education
Personal Relationships
Public Administration
Public Health
Public Health Education
Public Policy
Rehabilitation
Social Work
Special Education
Vocational Education
Business Community
Business Administration
Business Costs
Business Education
Blind
Visually Impaired
BVI
Blind Employment
Unemployment
Corporations
Disabilities
PWD
Leveraging Differences
Diversity
Ethnography
Success
Compensation
Agency
Identity Formation
Accommodations
Accessibility
Inclusivity
spellingShingle Biographies
Education
Educational Leadership
Families and Family Life
Individual and Family Studies
Minority and Ethnic Groups
Multicultural Education
Personal Relationships
Public Administration
Public Health
Public Health Education
Public Policy
Rehabilitation
Social Work
Special Education
Vocational Education
Business Community
Business Administration
Business Costs
Business Education
Blind
Visually Impaired
BVI
Blind Employment
Unemployment
Corporations
Disabilities
PWD
Leveraging Differences
Diversity
Ethnography
Success
Compensation
Agency
Identity Formation
Accommodations
Accessibility
Inclusivity
Adams, Kirk
Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
author Adams, Kirk
author_facet Adams, Kirk
author_sort Adams, Kirk
title Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
title_short Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
title_full Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
title_fullStr Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
title_full_unstemmed Journeys Through Rough Country: An Ethnographic Study of Blind Adults Successfully Employed in American Corporations
title_sort journeys through rough country: an ethnographic study of blind adults successfully employed in american corporations
publisher Antioch University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2019
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1552066999409903
work_keys_str_mv AT adamskirk journeysthroughroughcountryanethnographicstudyofblindadultssuccessfullyemployedinamericancorporations
_version_ 1719454726296174592