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Vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, as well as other service providers, are under increased pressure to provide evidence of the effectiveness of services. The primary metric for evaluating services in the VR program is short-term employment outcomes. Although employment outcomes are crucial, they may serve as a poor proxy for the ultimate intended goal of services, namely, improved quality of life (QOL). In this study, a comprehensive framework (the International Classification of Functioning ICF) is used to assess QOL in two samples of adults with disabilities receiving educational and vocational services. The relationship between difficulty with work and daily living activities with QOL was compared with a more complex assessment based on the ICF framework, including other life areas such as social relationships and inclusion and environmental factors. Results indicated that the additional information provided by the ICF model substantially increases the prediction of QOL relative to the more traditional VR measures. Within-groups analysis provided more information specific to each sample.
Fleming et al. (Mon,) studied this question.