Access to Integrated Employment

Since 1988, Access to Integrated Employment has described trends in day and employment services and outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This research project explores the factors that contribute to employment outcomes at multiple levels: individual achievement, employment support practices, service provider engagement, and state policy reform.This project is funded by the Administration on Disabilities, Administration for Community Living. Explore Access to Integrated Employment projects below.

Projects supported by Access to Integrated Employment

StateData.info

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StateData.info is a compilation of federal, state, and self-collected data sets on employment of people with IDD. StateData.info allows users to generate customized charts, conduct their own analyses, and download free publications that analyze critical issues and important findings in the area of disability and employment. Go to StateData.info to learn more!

National Survey of State IDD Agencies' Day and Employment Services

This annual survey describes the nature of day and employment services for individuals with IDD. The data collected is summarized annually in the National Report (below) and available on StateData.info. Read summaries of previously collected data.

Blue Book 2017StateData: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2017

Access the latest information about employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Both national and state-level statistics are included.

Download the PDF here*
Download the report narrative, no tables (Accessible PDF)

State Agency Promising Practices

This promising practices database highlights innovative policies and strategies that state IDD agencies are using to increase integrated employment opportunities. Go here to learn more: State Agency Promising Practices

Service Provider Promising Practices

The national landscape is changing, with an increasing emphasis on community employment opportunities for individuals with IDD. This activity focuses on service providers engaged in practices that reflect individual integrated employment as a priority outcome. Go here to learn more: Service Provider Promising Practices

Think Work Stories

Think Work Stories shares stories of people with IDD who are thriving in competitive jobs in their communities. The stories highlight these individuals’ achievements, and also showcase how state agency staff have helped them get hired and maintain fulfilling careers. Go here to learn more: Think Work Stories

Tatiana: Finding and Maintaining a job at CVS through Family Supports

Texas’s Vocational Apprenticeship Program: Moving Adults into Integrated Employment through Training in Transferable, Marketable Skills

This promising practice describes how the Texas Department of Health and Human Services has developed the Vocational Apprenticeship Program (VAP) as a statewide initiative to support the development of transferable and marketable employment skills in working-age adults.

Oscar: How Focused, Individualized Exploration Led to a Good Job Match at Shake Shack

Older Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients Work Less Frequently Than Their Younger Counterparts, But Use Work Incentive 1619(B) at Higher Rates

DataNote 77 examines Social Security Administration data that shows that younger SSI recipients were three times more likely to be working than older SSI recipients. However, younger recipients participated in work incentives at a lower rate compared to older SSI recipients.

DataNote: Comparing Employment and Poverty Rates of People with and without a Cognitive Disability

This DataNote shares census data from the American Community Survey (ACS) that demonstrates 5-year trends in employment rates and poverty rates for working-age individuals. It compares these rates between individuals without any disabilities to individuals with a cognitive disability.

DateNote: The Percentage of People Who Apply to Vocational Rehabilitation and Then Progress to Services Varies Greatly Across States

Progressing to receiving services after applying to vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a key step toward employment. In fiscal year 2020, a total of 33,144 job seekers with intellectual disabilities received VR services across the 50 states and DC. However, the percentage of people who progress to VR services varies greatly across states. This data note explores these differences.

Moving Forward after COVID-19: Implications for Ongoing Use of Remote and Virtual Supports in Promoting and Supporting Integrated Employment

This brief describes the findings from a survey developed and implemented by the Association of Persons Supporting Employment (APSE) on how employment and day service providers used remote and virtual supports. Findings from the survey and a set of considerations to improve employment services, policies, and practices based on lessons learned are offered.