Research from the NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Employment Policy and Measurement is the focus of an upcoming special issue of the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, now available online ahead of print.
Policymakers consistently express an interest in reversing the declining employment rates and high poverty rates of people with disabilities. Yet relatively little is known about the factors associated with successful employment outcomes among people with disabilities.
A special issue of the Journal of Disability Policy Studies (JDPS), co-edited by Yonatan Ben-Shalom and David Wittenburg, sheds new light on the employment and economic well-being of people with disabilities and describes the implications of existing and proposed policies designed to improve employment outcomes for this population.
Each of the six articles in the special issue suggests that the employment experiences of people with disabilities vary substantially by individual characteristics, indicating that factors beyond the disabilities themselves might heavily contribute to current employment trends. This information can aid policymakers in designing programs and policies that are targeted to helping workers with disabilities stay in the labor force, increase their earnings, lead more fulfilling lives, and reduce their reliance on government support.
The six articles, along with an introduction, are available:
- Working Toward Success: Current Evidence on Employment Outcomes for People With Disabilities
Yonatan Ben-Shalom and David C. Wittenburg - Employment and Economic Well-Being of People With and Without Disabilities Before and After the Great Recession
Gina A. Livermore and Todd C. Honeycutt - Individual Characteristics and the Disability Employment Gap
Purvi Sevak, Andrew J. Houtenville, Debra L. Brucker, and John O’Neill - Starting Behind: Wage and Employment Differentials Between Young Adults with and without Disabilities
David R. Mann and David C. Wittenburg - Return-to-Work Outcomes Among Social Security Disability Insurance Program Beneficiaries
Yonatan Ben-Shalom and Arif A. Mamun - Return to Work of Disability Insurance Beneficiaries Who Do and Do Not Access State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Services
John O’Neill, Arif A. Mamun, Elizabeth Potamites, Fong Chan, and Elizabeth da Silva Cordoso - Staying Employed: Services and Supports for Workers With Disabilities
Noelle Denny-Brown, Bonnie O’Day, and Stephanie McLeod
Depending on your institution, you may have access to the full text for these articles. We have linked to free abstracts where ever possible. If you are interested in ordering copies from through NARIC’s document delivery services, please contact us at 800/346-2742.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 