Exploring the relationships between race, ethnicity, and school and work outcomes among youth and young adults with disabilities: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose: Youth with disabilities often encounter barriers in finding meaningful employment and completing post-secondary education. Such challenges are often even more profound for youth who identify as an ethnic minority. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between race, ethnicity and school and work outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review while searching eight international databases that identified 49 studies meeting our inclusion criteria.

Results: Of the 49 studies that were included in the review, they involved youth and young adults with disabilities (aged 6-29) over a 21-year period. The majority of the studies focusing on school showed that ethnic minority youth with disabilities had poorer school outcomes compared to white youth with disabilities. Meanwhile, most studies focusing on work reported that ethnic minority youth with a disability had worse employment outcomes compared to white disabled youth. Factors influencing school and work included cultural differences in expectations, inequitable access to services and resources, and discrimination.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the disparities that exist for young people with disabilities from ethnic minority backgrounds. There is an urgent need for further research to understand their lived experiences to help address gaps in school and work outcomes.Implications for rehabilitationClinicians and educators should help to provide ethnic minority youth with equitable resources and opportunities to help them achieve their school and career goals.Clinicians and educators should consider participating in culturally sensitive care training to better understand the different needs and experiences of ethnic minority youth with disabilities.Clinicians and educators should try to work collectively with parents and ethnic minority youth with disabilities to optimize their transition outcomes.

Keywords: Employment; culture; ethnicity; race; school; youth.