Employment

On March 21, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) introduced a new resource aimed at boosting the participation of people with disabilities in competitive integrated employment. The Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) Transformation Hub brings together resources from across the federal government to provide practical guidance, policy information, and evidence-based best practices for people with disabilities, their families, employers, employment service providers, and state agencies. Competitive integrated employment ensures that people with disabilities are paid competitive wages and work in environments where the majority of employees do not have disabilities.

In response to the National Institutes of Health recently designating people with disabilities as a population experiencing health disparities, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed rule that would update the requirements for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, KFF has released a data analysis titled “Working-Age Adults with Disabilities Living in the Community.”...

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) released the 2024 Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) database. This database features 3,300 college students, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities seeking federal internships and permanent jobs. Federal Government employees can register to access and search this talent pool. WRP candidates are eligible for expedited hiring under the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Persons with Disabilities, which allows agencies to hire without posting a job announcement or going through the certification process.

The Profile of Older Americans is an annual summary of the statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics related to older adults in the United States. The Profile illustrates the shifting demographics of Americans age 65 and older and includes information on population growth, marital status, living arrangements, income, employment, and health. This year's report includes a special section on family caregivers.

The Annual Disability Statistics Compendium provides summaries of statistics about people with disabilities and government programs that serve them. The Compendium presents key overall statistics on topics including the prevalence of disability, employment among persons with disabilities, rates of participation in disability income and social insurance programs, and more. The 2021 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium includes a new section on Voting and Registration, which explores voting and registration of people with and without disabilities in the 2020 presidential elections.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy released the report, “Employment of Persons with a Disability: Analysis of Trends during the COVID-19 Pandemic– Findings in Brief.” This report examines workforce changes during COVID-19. It draws on data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey to provide insight into key labor force statistics, employment across industries and occupations, and the effect of the easing of social distancing and the ability to telework on occupational employment change.

ACL is announcing two new grants to University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDDs) including Community-Based Transitions Planning and Implementation Grants and a National Training Initiative to Support People with IDD Experiencing Co-Occurring Mental/Behavioral Health Issues.

This year, National Employ Older Workers Week (NEOWW) takes place from September 19-25, 2021. NEOWW is held annually to recognize the vital role of older adults in the workforce. NEOWW aims to increase awareness of older workers and develop innovative strategies to support employment. The theme for this year's National Employ Older Workers Week is: "The Future is NEOWW!"

This new fact sheet highlights funding and flexibilities that help increase access to competitive integrated employment (CIE) for youth and adults with disabilities. These opportunities are provided through the work of multiple federal agencies providing services to individuals with disabilities, including ACL and CMS.

On Monday, July 12, 2021 three ACL grantees released a digital book titled, 30 Years of Community Living for Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities. The book shares personal perspectives on community living and inclusion shared by people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) who served as advisors to the project. The book was written by the directors of three longitudinal studies funded by ACL’s Projects of National Significance program.