Ability and Work

Jump to: My current big picture view | My work

My current big picture view

Health conditions that impact work are very wide ranging from physical ones (e.g. hearing loss) to neurological ones (e.g. autism), and therefore the topic of disability and work itself is very wide ranging.

With that said, I know the staff who support people's job search personalize their approach. Effective personalization is more than just meeting people where they are, but being an active thought partner in the planning process (e.g. asking thought provoking questions in an approachable manner). This is why as I move forward in this area, I plan to dive deeper and understand the personalization process and how it may vary by disabilities and other factors.

My work

To date, I have served as principal investigator or task lead on research and TA projects focused on best practices for assisting job seekers with disabilities to find and retain work and help their current or potential employers understand the wide range of workplace accommodation practices, most of which have low costs.

1) An evaluation of a training for employers (TAP) that informs them how to recruit, hire, and retain individuals with autism. The pilot project was successful in meeting its enrollment goals and most (80%) found the training very informative (40%) or informative (40%).

Four training modules were created, and these were completed by 32 employers, exceeding the goal of 24.
Facilitation added substantial value to the online training format because it prompted discussion among staff about making changes. During the facilitated sessions, employer staff also discussed the implications of the suggested changes and were able to get clarifications from the facilitators.
Several interviewed employers expressed interest in connecting to an internship program or referral mechanism to facilitate hiring individuals on the autism spectrum.

2)A research brief describing how pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship can be used by schools, school districts, and employers as a recruitment and onboarding tool for people with disabilities.

At the individual level, program staff, students, and parents should be provided with information on workplace accommodations, self-disclosure, and rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Both federal education funds (through Perkins V) and workforce board funds (WIOA Title I and IV) support this type of training.
Pre-apprenticeship programs can effectively facilitate streamlined entry into apprenticeship programs by aligning curricula with entry requirements for apprenticeships and promoting instructional practices and accessibility tools to make curricula fully accessible to students with disabilities.

3) A brief about the Social Security Administration (SSA's) Ticket-to-Work program (for people claiming disability benefits) and how it could be used to support apprenticeships.

The entities that provide services (e.g. Vocational Rehabilitation agencies) to TTW beneficiaries are well positioned to serve as referral partners for apprenticeships because the services they offer (e.g., job readiness training, skills training, interview preparation, support services) can prepare qualified candidates for these apprenticeship programs.
Able-Disabled Advocacy (A-DA) is one example of an organization that connects TTW participants to apprenticeships. A-DA developed a paired pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship service-delivery model to ensure they had TTW candidates qualified for the apprenticeships.

4) Internal evaluations (i.e not publicly available) of TA initiatives funded by ODEP, such as pilots that developed best practices for using bank resources to improve employment and economic self-sufficiency for low-income people with disabilities and a three module training about the registered apprenticeship model and why it can be a great fit for Veterans.