Abstract:

The goal of the article is to reveal the factors influencing the professional development of persons with disabilities. The scientific problem of the research is expressed in the following questions: What are the motives for acquiring a profession of persons with disabilities? What difficulties do they encounter when choosing a profession? What factors influence the development their professional career? Quantitative research and the method of written survey, using questionnaire, have been chosen. 339 persons, having mobility, hearing and vision disabilities from different districts of Lithuania, participated in the research.

The research revealed that the main motives for the acquisition of a profession by persons with disabilities as well as difficulties encountered while choosing their profession are both objective and subjective. The main objective reasons for the acquisition of a profession are the following: a better material provision, participating in social life and the maintenance of close environment, integration into labour market, the acquisition of a profession creates conditions to seek higher qualification and career. Subjective reasons for the acquisition of a profession are the following: the need for communication and social recognition, the need for independence and realize themselves, their abilities and assert themselves as a personality. Objective problems, which complicate the choice of a profession, are to be associated with the lack of the adjustment of physical environment, experienced financial difficulties and health problems. Subjective problems, which were encountered by persons with disabilities while choosing their profession, were the following: communication and emotional difficulties, the lack of knowledge and decisiveness and social skills.

The research revealed objective and subjective factors of the professional career development of persons with disabilities. Important objective factors for the development of their professional career: a legal framework (legal acts would encourage the professional empowerment of persons with disabilities, motivate persons with disabilities towards professional activeness, would create a system motivating to work, and which would not encourage the passiveness and unemployment of persons with disabilities), close cooperation between the organizations of persons with disabilities and other public organizations, accessible infrastructure, the provision of consultation and mediation services and their accessibility, the formation of positive social attitudes towards persons with disabilities as well as the systematicity of the designing of their professional career and entrepreneurship education of persons with disabilities. Important subjective factors of the designing of their professional career are related to personal characteristics as well as organizational, independence, communication and cooperation skills.

Keywords:

Persons with disabilities, acquisition of a profession, motivation, professional career.