Employment

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) announced the release of two new publications about employment, transition, and education for youth with disabilities. The publications are: "By Youth, for Youth: Employment," and "Supporting Families of Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education: Learning from the Voices of Families."

The Office of Disability Employment Policy and the LEAD Center released three Employment First technical briefs for individuals working on the implementation of Employment First in their states, regions, and organizations. Each of the briefs offers different technical guidance on the following topics: Federal policy that supports Employment First systems, federal legal framework that supports competitive employment outcomes, and criteria for performance excellence.

The Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, published a report on financing transition services. Multiple funding streams, or braiding of resources, are used to fund the services and supports available for transition-age youth seeking employment or higher education. This report examines who the payers of last resort are based on different regulatory and legal requirements.

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability published "Designing Statewide Career Development Strategies & Programs," a guide to help states assist youth and youth with disabilities prepare for employment and college. This is a two-part guide which includes a primer for youth career development and an implementation guide with promising practices from successful programs for states to model.

The LEAD Center published a policy brief that examines the impact of employment programs on health care costs for working-age people with disabilities. People with disabilities are responsible for a disproportionate amount of healthcare spending each year, mainly through Medicare and Medicaid. Employment of people with disabilities shows a "protective impact" on health, which would ultimately help to lower public spending on health care for this population.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics in collaboration with the Kessler Foundation published this month's National Trends on Disability Employment report (nTIDE). Each month this report is published to mark the changes of employment for people with disabilities. The last 11 months have been a period of job growth for Americans living with disabilities. This month showed a decline in employment statistics. Please note that these statistics are not seasonally adjusted.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), this annual report focuses on how the ADA and other federal legislation has been implemented by five different state and local agencies. The report examines employment, education, health care, transportation, and housing to demonstrate the importance of the federal legislation and disability advocates. The report also offers recommendations to inform policymakers on changes to be made in the future legislation.

Mathematica Policy Research published a report examining the relationship between the primary impairments of Social Security disability beneficiaries and the employment and earning experiences of the beneficiaries. The report can inform policymakers on innovative ways to assist beneficiaries in becoming self-sufficient and gaining employment. The researchers found considerable differences in employment and earning across the primary impairments studied.

Every year the Administration for Community Living (ACL) uses U.S. Census data to compile a profile of the U.S. population over age 65. The population of older Americans is experiencing dynamic changes, and monitoring these changes over time is an important part of understanding current needs and preparing for future growth.