As National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) continues, we’re exploring some of the employment research we’ve covered in our regular series, Research In Focus. This series highlights new and interesting findings from NIDILRR-funded studies, presented in lay language summaries in English and Spanish. We work directly with study authors to ensure we accurately capture and present study findings and their implications for people with disabilities, practitioners, and the greater disability and rehabilitation community.
Since the series launched in 2016, we’ve covered the more than 40 studies on employment, from trials of employment interventions to qualitative studies to understand the experiences of workers and job seekers with disabilities.
Investigating Employment Strategies
- A Comprehensive Job Development Program May Help Youth with ASD Make the Successful Transition from School to Work
- A Coordinated Rehabilitation Program May Help Workers with Burn Injuries Get Back to Work
- A Guided Career Planning Program May Help Young Adults with Mental Health Challenges Achieve Their Goals
- Brief Counseling May Help People with Muscle and Joint Conditions Stay Employed
- Job Crafting May Be an Under-Utilized Strategy to Improve Job Satisfaction and Performance for Workers with Disabilities
- Picturing Work: A New Program for Vocational Empowerment May Help People with Psychiatric Disabilities Pursue Work
- Project Career: A New Program to Support College Students with Traumatic Brain Injuries
- The Right Supports Can Improve Opportunities for Job Seekers with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Helping Young Workers with Disabilities Succeed
- Career Mentors Can Help College Students Who Are Legally Blind Build Confidence to Find Jobs
- For College Graduates who are Legally Blind, Finding a Job Can Be Tough, But Mentoring May Help
- For Youth with Disabilities Seeking Employment, Work Experience May Matter More Than School Factors
- For Youth with Disabilities, Finding Help and Support After High School Can Be a Challenge
- For Youths with Mental Health Disorders Who Were Involved with the Criminal Justice System, Education is Critical for Job Success
- High Parental Expectations and Early Supports May Improve Employment Prospects for Youth with Deaf-Blindness
- Latina Family Caregivers in Rural Areas Turn to Their Community to Support Young Adults with Disabilities in Transition
Creating Inclusive Workplaces/Workforces
- Business Leaders Share Their Strategies to Promote Inclusion of People with Disabilities
- Tips on Promoting Job Success for Peer Providers at Community Mental Health Agencies
- What are Key Factors in Successfully Integrating Service Dogs in the Workplace?
Returning to the Workforce or Exploring Self-Employment
- A Coordinated Rehabilitation Program May Help Workers with Burn Injuries Get Back to Work
- For People with Cancer Who Want to Return to Work, Turn to Your Health Care Team for Key Information and Support
- Improving Working Conditions and Benefits for Direct Support Professionals May Reduce Turnover and Improve Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Employment, But Accommodations May Help
- Self-Employment May Be a Promising Avenue to Economic Independence for People with Disabilities
- What Do People with SCI Need to Know Before They Return to Work?
Understanding the Experience of Workers with Disabilities
- Competitive Integrated Employment Programs May Offset Pandemic Impact on Some Workers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Disclosing a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis at Work May Have Pros and Cons
- Ex-Offenders with Disabilities May Experience Racial Gaps in Employment and Earnings
- For People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Managing Transportation May be Key for Employment Success
- For Youths with Mental Health Disorders Who Were Involved with the Criminal Justice System, Education is Critical for Job Success
- People with Disabilities Face Barriers to Employment, But Accommodations May Help
- Staying Employed with a Physical Disability May Be Tough, But Resilience May Help
- Tips on Promoting Job Success for Peer Providers at Community Mental Health Agencies
- Workers with Disabilities Were Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic, but Stayed Engaged in the Labor Force
- Working Women with Disabilities Share Strategies for Countering Stereotypes in the Workplace
Working with Vocational Rehabilitation
- Business and Vocational Rehabilitation Can Build Partnerships for Employment Success
- Does College Training Have a Role to Play in VR?
- Employers Who Have Relationships with Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies May Be More Likely to Hire People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
- For Young African American Men with Substance Use Disorders, VR May Be a Promising Path to Employment
- Knowledgeable VR Staff and Specialized Services May Help Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Traumatic Brain Injuries and Visual Impairment
- Peer Support Specialists May Offer Unique Support for People with Psychiatric Disabilities in Finding and Keeping Jobs
- Vocational Rehabilitation May Help People with HIV or AIDS and Substance Use Disorder Overcome Employment Challenges
- Work Experience, Education, and Support from Family May increase VR Success, but Some Challenges May Get in the Way
Are you interested in research summaries like these? Explore the full Research In Focus series and learn more about plain language research summaries and how the NIDILRR grantee community uses them to share their research results with stakeholders.