Digital Commons Network^™

The Process Of Obtaining And Retaining Employment Among The Vision-Restricted, Chelsea E. Mohler

Digitized Theses

National estimates indicate that only a small percentage of vision-restricted individuals are employed. Identified obstacles to employment include lack of access to assistive technology, inadequate transportation, and negative attitudes of potential employers. A constructivist Grounded Theory methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of what people with vision-restrictions, who perceived that they are successfully employed, considered to be fundamental in the search for employment. Three themes emerged from the analysis of their responses: facing and negotiating barriers, the cyclical process of seeking and keeping employment, and settling for second best. As a person with a vision-restriction, I am uniquely …

Survivors On The Edge: The Lived-Experience Of Professional Musicians With Playing-Related Injuries, Christine A. Guptill

Digitized Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived-experience of professional instrumental musicians who have experienced playing-related injuries. This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology developed to examine this lived-experience. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten professional musicians. This was followed by a focus group where preliminary findings were presented to participants and their feedback was sought. Other sources of lived-experience included participant-observation by the researcher, who is a musician and has experienced injuries; and biographic and artistic representations of musical performance and its loss, including literature, films and television.

The findings were summarized in a visual representation unique …

Applications Of Ultrafine Powder Coatings, A.S. Mohammad Sayem Mozumder

Digitized Theses

Powder coatings have emerged as an alternative to the conventional liquid coatings when environmental regulations become stricter every year. The advantage of powder coatings mainly renders to their solvent-free formulations, because solvent(s) used in liquid coatings are to be evaporated to environment contributing to the total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. Although advantageous, until recently, powder coating was not able to provide surface finishes comparable to the liquid coatings. However, when ultrafine powders (particularly, in the size range of 15-25 µm) becomes flowable with the aid of nano-additive(s), ultrafine powder coatings (UPCs) came into business with its thinner and smoother …