Physical Disabilities

In a proclamation for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2023, President Biden acknowledged the significant contributions of disabled Americans to the nation's economy and emphasized the country's commitment to equal dignity, respect, and opportunities for all citizens. The proclamation highlights legislative milestones, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and addresses ongoing challenges, including lower employment rates and wage disparities for individuals with disabilities. President Biden outlines efforts to promote job opportunities, accessibility, and inclusivity, emphasizing the importance of diversity and equity in the workforce while urging all Americans to support equal employment opportunities...

Community Care Corps recently released their annual "Grantee Snapshots" publication, featuring the achievements of their 2022-2023 grantees. These snapshots offer program overviews, showcasing the innovative approaches these grantees have implemented to address the unique needs of diverse communities, including rural areas, historically marginalized populations, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The publication aims to inspire organizations to develop their own innovative programs dedicated to supporting the independence and well-being of older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a commemorative resource guide about the recruitment, hiring, and employment of individuals with disabilities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The EEOC and DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) issued this guide to explain the key roles these agencies have in Rehabilitation Act enforcement, outreach, and education. This resource guide also includes recruitment and hiring “Best Practices”, retention and advancement “Best Practices”, as well as other key resources for guidance and technical assistance.

On September 26, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities for research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Designated populations experience significant disparities in their rates of illness, morbidity, mortality and survival, driven by social disadvantage, compared to the health status of the general population. This designation is one of several steps the NIH is taking to address health disparities experienced by people with disabilities and to ensure representation in NIH research studies.

A recent study featured in the "Journal of Education and Work" aims to address the lack of longitudinal studies on the employment outcomes of long-term disabled individuals. While previous research has primarily focused on transitional factors and individual-level characteristics, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of disabled individuals' labor market experiences over time and across their life course. Leveraging social sequence analysis and extensive Norwegian longitudinal registry data spanning 24 years, the research is dedicated to identifying, describing, and forecasting stable employment paths among young individuals with disabilities, with particular attention to exploring the impact of gender...

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) has released a new resource titled "What Can State Agencies Do? A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide for State Agencies." This guide offers practical steps that state agencies can follow to promote awareness of disability-inclusive workplace policies and practices, both internally and externally. This initiative is a collaborative effort among various organizations aiming to showcase supportive workplaces that are inclusive for all workers.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute, in collaboration with the Partnership to Align Social Care and the Camden Coalition, has released a new resource guide that emphasizes the importance of addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) and details the benefits of partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community care networks for health plans. This comprehensive guide outlines how CBOs serve as powerful innovation partners, foster trust with members, offer a significant return on investment, provide greater efficiency in coverage through community care networks, and contribute to securing public contracts. This resource serves as a practical tool for health plans looking to establish meaningful collaborations with..

The Disability and Health Journal has published a report that explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment among people with disabilities. The study evaluates changes in employment-to-population ratios during the COVID-19 recession and recovery, and examines differences in employment trends for disabled and non-disabled individuals across occupational categories (essential, non-essential, teleworkable, non-teleworkable, frontline, non-frontline). The research draws on nationally representative data from the Current Population Survey to highlight disparities in employment outcomes between disabled and non-disabled individuals.

This Health Affairs article, written by Katie McEvoy of the National Association of Medicaid Directors argues for structural stability and continued federal financial support for Medicaid. The article highlights the importance of Medicaid in supporting older adults and people with disabilities, its important role in Health Care Infrastructure And State Economies, and the public support for the program.

This report is the most comprehensive and representative assessment of self-reported outcomes among older adults and people with physical disabilities receiving publicly funded LTSS since 2018. These data were collected from 13,663 people between June 2021 and July 2022. The sample includes individuals from 15 regionally representative states and a variety of LTSS programs, including: Medicaid HCBS, Nursing Facilities, and Older Americans Act recipients.