Disability Topics

• Center for Studying Disability Policy
• Children and Youth with Disabilities
• Working-Age Adults
• Adults of All Ages
• Collecting and Improving Disability Data
• Clients

Evaluating Employment Support for People with Disabilities

Passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ushered in a new era of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by authorizing national policies and programs to support their efforts to join the workforce. Yet more than three decades later, these individuals face higher unemployment, participate in work programs and services in lower numbers, and have limited funding for employment services, compared to the general population.

Mathematica is partnering with the University of New Hampshire’s Employment Policy and Measurement Research and Rehabilitation Training Center (RRTC) on a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to study and measure the impact of national policies and programs on the employment of people with disabilities. Annual research-to-policy roundtables, an online training series, and a national conference will provide a variety of accessible opportunities to discuss findings. In addition, the center will publish a research-to-policy brief series as well as provide varying levels of technical assistance.

As part of the project, the Mathematica team is leading seven studies to learn more about the effects of program incentives on employment outcomes for people with disabilities. We are also conducting a comparative assessment of employment measures across surveys and administrative records and tapping extensive administrative data sources, including data from the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Presentations

Capitol Hill Policy Forum—hosted by the National Academy of Social Insurance—"Why Are More People Claiming Disability Insurance and What Should Be Done About It?"—Washington, DC—April 3, 2012
David Stapleton, Presenter (Video)

Publications

"The Disability System and Programs to Promote Employment for People with Disabilities" (April 2013)
"Back to Work: Recent SSA Employment Demonstrations for People with Disabilities" (June 2012)
Blog: "A Disability Policy for the 21st Century" (January 2012)
"A Roadmap to a 21st-Century Disability Policy" (January 2012)
"Fiscal Austerity and the Transition to Twenty-First Century Disability Policy: A Road Map" (November 2011)
"Costs, Cuts, and Consequences: Charting a New Course for Working-Age People with Disabilities" (September 2011)
"The SSDI Trust Fund: New Solutions to an Old Problem" (June 2011)