Partnership in Opportunities for Employment through Technology in the Americas (POETA): Examining the impact of the POETA program on the lives of People with Disabilities - Final Scientific Report

Abstract

This project was funded by International Research Development of Canada (IDRC) and managed by the Trust for the Americas, a nonprofit affiliate of the Organization of the American States –OAS. Based on a Collaborative Action Research and Evaluation (CARE) and using a realist methodology it was possible to investigate the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that have the most direct impact on the successes and challenges of the POETA program. The results of the interviews suggest that in the areas of social support and inclusion, personal growth and employability, the POETA program plays an important role in impacting the lives of participants. Based on the research results, it seems that the three main program components are the key elements of the POETA efforts and that each component has definite social mechanisms that drive positive change towards desired outcomes.