Employment Programs

This new report is an update to a SEED report published in 2016 and includes legislation and executive actions enacted since the 2016 report. These updates are organized into five policy themes for inclusive employment: laying the groundwork, preparing for work, getting to and accessing work, staying at work; and self-employment and entrepreneurship. The updated report also highlights success stories from recent disability-inclusive policy efforts and actions in the states.

This publication, produced in partnership with United Cerebral Palsy, provides a comprehensive assessment of how well programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This report highlights data on 58 measures organized into seven key issue areas.

The Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference is hosted annually by ADvancing States (formerly known as NASUAD). This event highlights best practices from across the country in home and community-based services. The conference includes federal, state, and local policymakers as well as those who administer, manage, and deliver waiver and other HCBS programs. This link contains all of the slide presentations from the 2019 HCBS Conference.

This strategic planning manual helps states develop a strategic process to increase Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for people with disabilities. This manual is designed as a guide for state leadership teams and facilitators working to create a statewide cross-systems Employment First strategic plan. It is intended to help states strategically align their policy and programs to further CIE as the first priority for all individuals with disabilities.

This brief highlights the critical services provided by the Older Americans Act (OAA). It also reviews the current funding challenges the program faces in light of rising inflation and increased demand for services from a growing population of older adults. The OAA was last renewed in 2016 for three years and is up for renewal again in 2019.

AARP's Public Policy Institute (PPI) publishes a monthly update on employment numbers for people ages 55 and over. This report draws from monthly data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. AARP PPI has recently released its September 2018 version of the digest. The unemployment rate for people ages 55 and older declined to 2.8 percent, but the percentage of long-term unemployed ages 55+ increased to 34.6 percent.

This recently released white paper explains the barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities and highlights areas where governors can help people with disabilities overcome the challenges they may face in seeking employment. The strategies in this paper were developed following a learning lab meeting with states to discuss ways to take advantage of pools of untapped talent and ensure that workforce development and hiring policies are inclusive of people with disabilities.

This paper examines the success of grants given to initiatives that address the employment gap between people with and without disabilities. Independent evaluations identified five elements which were common to successful projects, namely, 1) A focus on changing attitudes about people with disabilities and their ability to work, 2) A person-centered approach to employment, 3) Technological platforms or model documentation, 4) Strong community partnerships, and 5) Wraparound services.

This report is one of three reports released around the same time from Mathematica Policy Research focusing on how transition services are being used for youth with disabilities. This report examines states' experiences with a new mandate requiring them to provide pre-employment transition services available to all students with disabilities.

This report is one of three reports released around the same time from Mathematica Policy Research focusing on how transition services are being used for youth with disabilities. This report outlines evidence-based strategies to promote sustained, gainful employment for youth with disabilities who are receiving SSI.