Relationships Between Personal Assistance and Productivity Among Japanese Adults with Severe Physical Disabilities

Nosek MA. Relationships between personal assistance and productivity among Japanese adults with severe physical disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin 1991; 35 (2): 105-18.

ABSTRACT

As independence becomes an increasingly prominent goal of persons with disabilities, the demand for information that relates to its enhancement correspondingly becomes greater. Over the past 10 years, the concept of independent living in the United States has had a significant influence on organizations of individuals with disabilities in Japan. With the support of the philanthropic arm of Japanese industry, a cadre of people with disabilities has traveled to the U.S. and participated at length in independent-living programs, instigating a burgeoning independent living movement in Japan. There are many factors that contribute to an individual's independence, such as equipment, transportation, housing, community accessibility, and education. Personal assistance plays a pivotal role in the survival, sustenance, and independence of people with severe disabilities, as well as in maintaining a foundation for achieving the maximum benefits of education and rehabilitation. Because productivity is generally regarded as the most basic indicator of independence in both the U.S. and Japan, it has been chosen as the outcome variable by which to measure an individual's independence. The purpose of the current study was to examine the use of personal assistance by a sample of Japanese adults with severe physical disabilities and the relationship between their use of personal assistance and their level of productivity.

Home — About CROWD — National Study
Health and Wellness — Access to Health Care — Abuse and Women
Community Living — Educational Materials — Messages from Friends

Center for Research on Women with Disabilities
3440 Richmond Avenue, Suite B - Houston, Texas 77046
Phone: 713-960-0505 Toll Free: 800-44-CROWD Fax: 713-961-3555
email: crowd@bcm.tmc.edu