Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center

Employment Policy & Measurement RRTC logo

Framing the Issues

Over the past three decades, the receipt of disability-related government benefits has increased substantially, and the employment of people with disabilities has declined significantly relative to the employment of people without disabilities. Changes to policies and practices have the potential to reverse these trends. The Employment Policy and Measurement RRTC generates and translates new knowledge about disability employment policy and the labor market experiences of people with disabilities. Through its 11 research projects and 12 knowledge translation projects that involve a range of dissemination, training, and technical assistance activities, the Center aims to improve evidence-based decision-making, program effectiveness, ultimately resulting in better employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Partners

Mathematica
Kessler Foundation
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
University of Chicago

The EPM-RRTC is funded by a $4.375 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, NIDILRR – Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) Program under grant 90RT5037.

    • Project Contact: Jody Schimmel Hyde, Mathematica Policy Research
    • This study uses data from the IPUMS Health Surveys from 2001 through 2017, which offers harmonized data from the National Health Interview Study. For each year in the study period, we document (1) the share of the working-age population reporting a work-limiting health condition or impairment, (2) the share of the former who are working, and (3) by disability and work status, the health insurance coverage source and reported difficulties accessing care.

  • Medicaid Expansions and Employment

    • Project Contacts: Purvi Sevak, Mathematica Policy Research
    • This study assesses the impact of health insurance, including Medicaid expansion, on the employment of individuals with disabilities using data from the American Community Survey and National Health Interview Survey.

  • WIOA Program Interactions

    • Project Contact: David Mann, Mathematica Policy Research
    • This project provides information for state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency staff and policymakers on the early intervention potential of VR agencies. We analyze the extent to which VR agencies responded to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, including how they work with employers and transition-age youth.

  • Employment Services and Other Program Outcomes

    • Project Contact: David Mann, Mathematica Policy Research
    • This study uses changes in order of selection status (OOS) and changes in vocational rehabilitation (VR) funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to estimate the causal impact of VR services on employment.  The OOS changes and ARRA funding changes allow us to examine whether VR applicants affected by these events in certain states have better employment outcomes because of VR service receipt.

  • SSDI and Medicare Policy Simulations

    • Project Contact: Debra Brucker, University of New Hampshire
    • This project simulates the effect of changes in Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefit levels and Medicare benefits on economic security among people with disabilities. We pay particular attention to understanding how different benefit programs contribute to the economic security of families that include transition-age youth with disabilities (ages 18 to 24), working-age adults with disabilities (ages 25 to 61), and older adults with disabilities (ages 62 and older).

  • Evidence Based Policy Inferences

    • Project Contact: Purvi Sevak, Mathematica
    • This project identifies and describes the potential impacts of proposed reforms to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program in a manner that will help policymakers understand the potential impact of reforms. Our goal is to draw objective conclusions about the potential employment and economic outcomes under policy environments that are much more supportive of employment than the current SSDI program.

  • Adopted SSDI Reform Analysis/EES

    • Project Contacts: David Stapleton, Tree House Economics
    • We analyze employment outcomes, benefit receipt, and other measures of well-being with people with disabilities in the years following Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) reform.

  • Occupational Risk and Onset

    • Project Contacts: April Wu, Mathematica
    • This project identifies occupations at risk of ability decline: the relative change in a standardized ability measure for people between ages 50 and 62.  We explore whether workers in these high-risk occupations are more likely to report having a health condition that limits their ability to work, exit the labor force before retirement age, or apply for federal disability benefits.

  • Striving to Work

    • Project Contact: Debra Brucker, University of New Hampshire
    • This study uses existing household survey data to develop (a) a multi-dimensional measure of employment that expands current conceptualizations of employment outcomes, as well as, (b) a new ‘striving to work’ indicator that more comprehensively captures the involvement of individuals with disabilities in the labor market.

  • Measures of Onset and Employment

    • Project Contact: Andrew Houtenville, University of New Hampshire
    • This project explores ways to improve measurement of employment-related outcomes for people with disabilities, including the use of web-based internet panel surveys.

  • Rhode Island Short Term Disability Insurance

    • Project Contact: David Mann, Mathematica
    •  In this project we utilize the analysis of state administrative data from Rhode Island’s Short-Term Disability Insurance Program (STDI) to assess the feasibility of a pilot early intervention project at the state level. The results of this analysis can be used to assess the feasibility of a pilot early intervention project in Rhode Island and/or other states.

  • Arkansas Employer Interviews

    • Project Contact: Yonatan Ben-Shalom, Mathematica
    • This project uses qualitative interviews to understand why some employers seek to provide work supports while others do not by utilizing the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) division – Arkansas’ state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRA).

  • Monthly nTIDE Report and Infographic

    • Project Contact: Karen Volle, University of New Hampshire
    • This project will maintain a consistent and dependable presence in the disability and policy communities by continuing to produce and disseminate the Monthly nTIDE Jobs Report (nTIDE) and the corresponding infographic.

  • Policy Supplement to the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium

    • Project Contact: Debra Brucker, University of New Hampshire
    • This project will design and produce a Policy Supplement for inclusion in the Compendium which will include key policy variables by state and year, including, but not limited to, the state (and large city) minimum wage rates, SSI and SSDI allowance rates, state SSI supplementary payments, and state earned income tax credits.

  • VA Partial Disability

    • Project Contact:

  • Special Journal Volume

    • Project Contact: Jody Schimmel Hyde, Mathematica Policy Research
    • This project will coordinate the creation of a special journal volume, as an alternative to the state-of-the-science conference summary report stipulated under the general requirements of an RRTC.

  • Journal Articles about Research Findings

    • The research projects will generate at least 13 manuscripts. Some of these articles will be included in the special journal volume, while others will be submitted to peer-reviewed academic journals.

  • Center Web Site and Social Media

    • Project Contact: Debra Brucker, University of New Hampshire
    • This project will continue to host and maintain this website, which will include descriptions of the Center, its staff and collaborators, research projects, presentations, papers, archives and links to other web-based materials products.

  • nTIDE Lunch & Learn Webcast

    • Project Contact: Karen Volle, University of New Hampshire
    • This project will create a consistent presence and readily available resource that audience members can count on. To include: (1) a discussion of the morning’s nTIDE, which will be the “hook” to help maintain connection to the audience and create a sense of dependability and familiarity, and (2) a presentation of recent research findings and policy issues, which will provide a sense of depth.
      Outcomes: Monthly webcast recorded and archived here: nTIDE

  • State of the Science Conference

    • Project Contact: Karen Volle, University of New Hampshire
    • The conference will be a one-day event held in 2019 and will bring together all of the Center target populations to discuss the current state of disability employment policy and ways to move the field forward.

  • Scientific Conference Presentations

    • Each of the Center’s research projects is responsible for presenting its findings in at least one scientific conference.

  • Junior Researcher Training

    • Project Contact: David Wittenburg, Mathematica Policy Research
    • The Center’s investigators will mentor Dr. Deshapande, as she develops a research project in one of the three research priorities.