Wages and Benefits

In 2005 CMS funded a national evaluation by a consortium led by the RAND Corporation to study the implementation and outcomes of ten funded initiatives. These initiatives were meant to improve the recruitment and retention of the Direct Service Community Workforce. Review the report and listen to a recorded webinar where the author's present their findings.

The Job Accommodation Network represents the most comprehensive resource for job accommodations available. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities. Their website is designed to make this happen. The site categorizes employers, individuals, and others separately and includes an Accommodation Search and Disabilities Glossary. Hot topics, Publications & Resources, What’s New? and a Website Tour also facilitate the users access to this information.

These documents are samples of evaluation forms given out at various Nevada MIG program events. One form includes sample answers. These tools helped program administrators determine the level of success and satisfaction.

In April of 2009, WIN conducted this survey, which was sent to over a thousand of its participants. WIN is a free service designed to help people with disabilities understand and use employment programs in Oregon and/or federal work incentives programs. Because it's goal is to help disabled persons navigate the sometimes differing and sometimes conflicting eligibility criteria that discourage individuals from working, this survey is centered around consumer input.

One of the biggest challenges for low-income adults with disabilities who want to work is how to keep health benefits after obtaining employment. WIN is a free service designed to help people with disabilities understand and use employment programs in Oregon and/or federal work incentives programs to obtain, maintain or advance in employment while still meeting critical needs. For this investment, Oregon gets increased tax revenue and decreased reliance on state and federal funded services.

This outcome evaluation, by The Center for Outcome Analysis, Inc., (their website is included), measures whether microenterprise participants and their direct support workers experienced changes in the qualities and quantities of work life. The results found within this study affirm that microenterprise options do offer a viable alternative to “adult day programs” and “sheltered workshops” for citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Connect-Ability’s goal of enhancing and supporting employment for people with disabilities is informed in large part by the experiences of people with disabilities themselves. The Pathways to Success project collects information on individual experiences, on an ongoing basis through periodic in-person interviews. With this information, the findings will be used to inform not only state agency policy, but also potential employers, so that they may better assist job seekers with disabilities.

This is a survey of Connecticut school districts concerning transition, work experience and community participation services for students receiving special education services. This survey, focused on youth in transition; stakeholder education; recruitment, employment, and retention; transportation; and technical assistance. The results and subsequent strategic plan will be useful to the State Department of Education for continuing technical assistance and training to school districts.

In an effort to understand the services and strategies that sustain employment, the state of Washington conducted an evaluation of Washington’s Healthcare for Workers with Disabilities Program. This program is the state’s version of Medicaid Buy-In, and the results show that enrollees are working more hours, earning more money, paying health insurance premiums, contributing more in taxes relying less on food stamps.

This assessment is designed to answer important questions about the population eligible for DVR services that live in Maine and their vocational rehabilitation needs. Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) assists eligible individuals with disabilities to prepare for, achieve and retain employment in integrated community settings. The goal is to provide services to all eligible consumers at the time that they need them to achieve competitive, community-based employment.