Promises Deferred: An Evaluation of Federal Employment Research for Adolescents and Adults with Disa

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Promises Deferred An Evaluation of Federal
Employment Research for Adolescents and Adults
with Disabilities

• ICDR Employment Summit
• Arlington, VirginiaSeptember 20, 2006

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• John Kregel
• Associate Director
• RRTC on Workplace
• Supports and Employment Retention
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• jkregel_at_vcu.edu

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Purpose of the Presentation

• Initiate a Discussion of the Current Status of
  Disability Employment Research and Generate
  Recommendations for Future Research Paradigms,
  Needs, and Methodologies

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Key Themes

• Evidence Based Practices
• Short-Term Interventions Versus
• Longitudinal Studies
• Development of Conceptual Frameworks
• Measuring the Intervention

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Research Landscape

• Availability of Services and Supports
• Efficacy of Service Delivery Systems
• Efficacy of Legislative Initiatives
• Public Private Relationships

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Refining Interventions Youth Systems

• Student Directed IEPs
• Alternate Assessment
• Transition Services
• High School Graduation

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Refining Interventions Youth Systems

• From the perspective of employment research,
  graduation/completion of high school is too often
  thought of only as a dependent measure. It should
  more correctly be viewed as an independent
  variable and the relationship between school exit
  and adult employment outcomes should be examined
  in greater detail.

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Refining Interventions Adult Systems

• Demand Side Interventions
• Person Centered Planning
• Customized Employment
• Cash and Counseling
• Disability Program Navigator
• Work Incentive Planning and Advisement

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Efficacy of Service Delivery Systems

• Special Education
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• One Stop Career Centers
• Veterans Administration VR Services
• Developmental Disabilities
• Mental Health

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Efficacy of Service Delivery Systems

• Special Education

• What are the current conceptual models that drive
  the Federal governments approach to the delivery
  of transition services to youth with
  disabilities?

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Efficacy of Service Delivery Systems

• Vocational Rehabilitation

For purposes of research, the unit of analysis in
Vocational Rehabilitation must evolve from
closures to people.
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Efficacy of Service Delivery Systems

• One Stop Career Centers

What evidence exists to indicate that individuals
with disabilities and significant supports needs
can be effectively served in the nations network
of One-Stop Career Centers?
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Efficacy of Legislative Initiatives

• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• Vocational Rehabilitation Act
• Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act

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Efficacy of Legislative Initiatives

• Americans with Disabilities Act

Which Federal agencies have the responsibility to
conduct research into the effectiveness of the
Americans with Disabilities Act?
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Efficacy of Legislative Initiatives
Policy Interactions

• To what extent does the variation in the
  policies and regulations of the IDEA, ADA, and
  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act facilitate
  or obstruct access to programs, accommodations,
  and assistive technology for students with
  disabilities transitioning from secondary to
  postsecondary education?

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Public and Private Partnerships

• What is meant by demand side employment
  interventions? Can public rehabilitation agencies
  assist the private sector? Are the practices
  currently employed in the private sector that can
  be adapted and adopted for use in public
  educational and employment programs?
• Is there a role for public policy in enhancing or
  incentivizing employer efforts for work retention
  in the face of health or disability conditions?