About Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC), it is estimated that there are 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) every year in the United States. Over half of these injuries occur in people 16 to 30 years of age, corresponding to the developmental periods associated with career advancement and establishment.
Unemployment rates for individuals with SCI are ten times that of the general population.However, most individuals with disabilities want to work. Employment is also associated with improved quality of life and longer life expectancy, and has been shown to be closely related to satisfaction with life. Work is important to people not only because they can earn an income and receive health insurance and other benefits, but also because it gives them opportunities to interact with others and improve their self-esteem. Being employed seems to have a ripple effect that enhances many different areas of life adjustment.
Most people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) want to work, yet need support, education, and training to help them. Earning an education is one of the strongest predictors of return to work for persons with SCI. Obtaining an education has been associated with a greater likelihood of employment success and a wider range of occupations. Individuals with higher levels of education are less likely to obtain manual labor jobs, balancing out their difficulty in obtaining certain positions due to functional/physical barriers which often significantly limit the types of job they may acquire. Other reasons cited for higher education being associated with better rates of work for persons with SCI include requiring less changes in occupation and more autonomy and flexibility.
The resources available for education are becoming harder and harder to identify. There are many organizations that can assist in providing support when someone is in school, however, few provide the actual funding for a college degree. Education, as a known predictor of increased probability of employment, is key in attaining many of life’s rewards such as improved quality of life and well being.
The goal of the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation is to give individuals with SCI the opportunity to not only live a longer life, but also a more fulfilling life through an education leading to a career. Through the SCIF and your efforts, you can make someone’s dream a reality.
Unemployment rates for individuals with SCI are ten times that of the general population.However, most individuals with disabilities want to work. Employment is also associated with improved quality of life and longer life expectancy, and has been shown to be closely related to satisfaction with life. Work is important to people not only because they can earn an income and receive health insurance and other benefits, but also because it gives them opportunities to interact with others and improve their self-esteem. Being employed seems to have a ripple effect that enhances many different areas of life adjustment.
Most people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) want to work, yet need support, education, and training to help them. Earning an education is one of the strongest predictors of return to work for persons with SCI. Obtaining an education has been associated with a greater likelihood of employment success and a wider range of occupations. Individuals with higher levels of education are less likely to obtain manual labor jobs, balancing out their difficulty in obtaining certain positions due to functional/physical barriers which often significantly limit the types of job they may acquire. Other reasons cited for higher education being associated with better rates of work for persons with SCI include requiring less changes in occupation and more autonomy and flexibility.
The resources available for education are becoming harder and harder to identify. There are many organizations that can assist in providing support when someone is in school, however, few provide the actual funding for a college degree. Education, as a known predictor of increased probability of employment, is key in attaining many of life’s rewards such as improved quality of life and well being.
The goal of the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation is to give individuals with SCI the opportunity to not only live a longer life, but also a more fulfilling life through an education leading to a career. Through the SCIF and your efforts, you can make someone’s dream a reality.
- Hess DW, Ripley DL, McKinley WO, Tewksbury M. Predictors for return to work after spinal cord injury: a 3-year multicenter analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000;81(3):359–363. [PubMed]
- Krause JS, Anson CA. Employment after spinal cord injury: relation to selected participant characteristics. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996;77(8):737–743. [PubMed]
