Research / Journal abstracts

This study explores the services, supports, and accommodations that people with disabilities use to find and keep competitive employment; how they obtain needed supports; and the extent to which they pay out of pocket for work-related supports. The authors conducted an exploratory study using in-depth interviews with 15 workers with disabilities who in 2013 earned at least 250% of the poverty level, or about US$28,000 a year for a single person.

This report seeks to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between the primary impairments of Social Security disability program beneficiaries and the employment and earnings experiences of those beneficiaries. The authors' findings can inform new initiatives designed to help beneficiaries return to work or successfully transition into the adult workforce.

After a decade of changes in federal law, regulation, and policy designed to promote the growth of publicly funded participant-directed long-term services and supports (PD-LTSS) programs, the number of these programs has grown considerably. This article details the process for developing this data resource, describes some of the major characteristics of PD-LTSS programs in the United States, and discusses possible implications and areas for future research.

The employment rate for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) has remained stable during the recent decades, despite investment from the federal government. This study aimed to identify characteristics of adults with ID who are employed and to understand the paths towards employment for these individuals. Results show several characteristics are associated with greater likelihood of employment, including younger age, early work experience, and higher levels of adaptive behavior.

The supports and resources around the Section 503 new rules are mainly directed toward employers who are federal contractors. Yet, these new rules could also have significant impacts on employment service providers (ESPs) who work with individuals with disabilities, offering new opportunities for them to build partnerships, expand services, and create talent pipelines. The purpose of this article is to enable ESPs to prepare for the implementation of the new Section 503 rules.

A systematic review was conducted to review the effectiveness of workplace accommodation (WA) regarding employment, work ability, and cost-benefit among disabled people. There was moderate evidence that specific types of WA (vocational counselling and guidance, education and self-advocacy, help of others, changes in work schedules, work organization, and special transportation) promote employment among physically disabled persons and reduce costs.

Using data from 360 health care providers and 540 Medicaid eligible people with disabilities (PWD), the authors compared perceived barriers to care from the perspective of both providers and PWD. The results indicated major variations in provider and PWD perceptions. Policy responses to these findings should address the specific needs of people with different types of disabling conditions rather than assuming all PWD face similar challenges in accessing and utilizing health care.

The employment rate among persons with disabilities is less than half the rate among persons without disabilities. Broad innovations are needed to reduce this disparity.These authors examined employers' perspective related to: a) challenges they face when hiring people with disabilities, b) advantages (i.e. the business case) to employing people with disabilities, and c) their recommendations for innovations in both the public disability employment services systems and their own hiring practices

A growing emphasis on government accountability has increased interest in the collection and use of employment outcomes data. At the national level, data on employment for individuals with disabilities are available through multiple data collection systems. However, many systems are fragmented and only loosely coordinated across agencies. This article offers a qualitative, in-depth look at how employment data is collected and used within four state intellectual/developmental disability agencies.

Although Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are an important support to many people with disabilities, modifications to programs are under consideration given current and projected governmental fiscal constraints. This article provides data about levels of safety net cross-participation among working age SSDI and SSI program participants and estimates how changes to disability benefit levels might influence their economic security.