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Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural and Remote Australasia

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Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview on vocational rehabilitation services in rural Australia and New Zealand (Australasia), a region with significant geo-cultural diversity – ranging from extremely remote regions to highly urbanised areas. It surveys the work opportunity settings for residents of rural and remote Australasia and the types of vocational rehabilitation service needs in that setting. Both Australia and New Zealand’s indigenous have state-supported vocational rehabilitation services, which also allow private for-profit operators or providers. Indigenous people tend to be habitants of rural and remote Australia and less for New Zealand. They have significant disability prevalence compared to the general population and are likely to be unemployed − if with employment their vocational rehabilitation needs are less likely to be met due to scarcity of services in their rural and remote habitats. Vocational rehabilitation services in rural and remote Australasia are likely to be successful if designed for typical rural economy industry and with providers grounded in local cultures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services, University of North Texas, Denton, USA

    Elias Mpofu

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Elias Mpofu

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Cumberland Campus, Lidcombe, Australia

    Elias Mpofu

  4. Health Sciences, Discipline of Rehabilitation Counseling, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia

    James Athanasou

  5. Kolling Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, St. Leonards, NSW, Australia

    Ashley Craig

  6. Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW, Australia

    Ashley Craig

  7. C/G McKinnon, Putarura, South Waikato, New Zealand

    Shane Heasley

Authors
  1. Elias Mpofu
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  2. James Athanasou
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  3. Ashley Craig
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  4. Shane Heasley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elias Mpofu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Debra A. Harley

  2. College of Health and Human Services, Rehabilitation Services and Rehabilitation Counseling, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA

    Noel A. Ysasi

  3. Department of Early Childhood, Special, Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Malachy L. Bishop

  4. Pennsylvania State University, Rehabilitation and Human Services, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Allison R. Fleming

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Mpofu, E., Athanasou, J., Craig, A., Heasley, S. (2018). Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural and Remote Australasia. In: Harley, D., Ysasi, N., Bishop, M., Fleming, A. (eds) Disability and Vocational Rehabilitation in Rural Settings. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64786-9_18

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