Abstract. BACKGROUND:The recent rehabilitation literature does not include a thorough assessment of the employment concerns of people with MS. OBJECTIVE: This article presents descriptive findings from a national survey of the employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS; N = 1,924), representing nine chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. METHODS: Respondents were asked to evaluate 38 employment concerns items on two dimensions, importance and satisfaction, for the purpose of identifying strengths and weaknesses in the employment policies and practices affecting the labor force participation of people with MS. RESULTS: Results revealed a total of 32 employment strengths and six employment weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of a jobless rate of more than 60 percent, people with MS were satisfied with the majority of employment concerns. Implications of these findings for rehabilitation policy and service delivery are examined.

BACKGROUND: The experience of disability and of how work is conducted in the American economy is undergoing new shifts in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This unique space in time provides an opportunity to re-examine the importance of universal design (UD) as a way to respond to a workforce that is growing more diverse and living longer with disabilities. UD is a set of strategies that creates places and resources that are accessible to all and considers the needs and wants of people from the outset. Through the use of UD, work environments can be more accessible and useable to all employees. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the changes in the experience of disability within the context of COVID-19 and defines UD and UD for learning principles. We then consider how UD reduces stigma and reduces the need for individual accommodations while promoting inclusivity and improving productivity in the workplace. CONCLUSION: We offer strategies for embedding UD into vocational rehabilitation from pre-professional training to practice, all with a new sense of urgency and opportunity that is present as a result of COVID-19.

This large-scale analysis addresses several outstanding questions concerning work accommodations among workers with MS. Cognitive symptoms and disease severity are strongly associated with need for accommodations, however accommodations do not appear to promote job satisfaction or longevity. The accommodation request process and the impact of accommodations on employment retention remain important research foci.

BACKGROUND: Adults with multiple sclerosis experience high rates of unemployment post-diagnosis even though they continue to have considerable employment potential. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to identify factors predictive of unemployment among adults with multiple sclerosis and to recommend interventions that increase the probability of full and part-time employment. METHODS: Responding to a national survey of the employment concerns of Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), participants in this study consisted of 1,839 members of nine National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) chapters representing 21 states and Washington, DC. RESULTS: The sample included 397 men (22%) and 1,436 women (78%). Older (average age of 54) White (76%) individuals, the majority were unemployed (59%) but well educated (98% were high school graduates, 46% were college graduates). Findings from multinomial logistic regression analyses underscore the complexity involved in predicting who will and will not maintain full and part-time employment while coping with the physical, cognitive, psychological, and support system challenges of multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSION: Younger, better educated individuals with less severe MS and greater financial security were more likely to be involved in full or part-time employment. Early intervention efforts at the worksite are suggested as one means to enable adults with MS to maintain their employment.

No abstract