Assessment of individuals with intellectual disabilities in terms of employability:An exploratory mixed methods study

This research is mixed-methods research aiming to develop data collection tools that will enable individuals with intellectual disabilities to be evaluated in terms of employability, examine the employment profiles of individuals with intellectual disabilities, and identify suitable job fields for these profiles. The participants of the qualitative phase of this study, which was conducted with an exploratory sequential design, consisted of 43 people, including 10 special education teachers, 10 vocational teachers, 5 advisory teachers, 10 business and vocational counselors, and 8 employers/human resources specialists. In the quantitative phase of the study, 144 individuals with intellectual disabilities, who are senior students of special education vocational school, were assessed together with special education and vocational teachers, with the Employability and Job Fields Skills Assessment Tool (IMED), which was developed based on the findings obtained as a result of the content analysis of stakeholder views. Findings indicated that IMED is a valid and reliable tool; it shows that nearly half of the individuals with intellectual disabilities will be able to be employed in the fields of physical works, food and beverage services, accommodation services and office management. In addition, the findings reveal that some of the individuals with intellectual disabilities are employable when support is provided. The findings are discussed with other research results and suggestions for further research and practice are presented.