Career guidance for persons with disabilities.

The career development of persons with disability seems to be characterized by type and severity of disability. Disability may decrease exploratory behaviors during development, thus diminishing the knowledge one can have about professional activities and work settings. In addition, significant others often tend to make decisions, and also career decisions, for these persons and so stimulate scarce involvement in them. This condition can reduce self-determination and quality of life, and also restrict participation in working activities and economic life. Vocational guidance is the essential premise for any project of work inclusion. An analysis should be done of the wishes, professional expectations and strengths of persons with disabilities, and support should be given to their decisional process. Therefore, practitioners require to be especially trained to become able to design effective career guidance programming for persons with disability needs and also to take into account the involvement of family members, educators, health care professionals, co-workers, and employers, who have significant influence on the vocational development of persons with disability.