Toward a platform to support vocational training of people with disabilities

Abstract

Vocational training can bring significant benefits for people with disabilities (PwD), particularly in terms of self-esteem and autonomy. Nevertheless, only a small fraction of Brazilians with disabilities actually work, due to lack of job qualifications. In this paper, we report on the early progress of an ongoing research agenda that investigates new educational and social engagement technologies to facilitate the qualification and inclusion of PwD in the Brazilian labor market. Based on our experiences working with multiple disability populations in a series of exploratory studies, we discuss relevant aspects to be considered in the design and implementation of a vocational training platform targeted at PwD.