Economic and programmatic indicators explain vocational rehabilitation employment rates of persons with cognitive disabilities

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nord, Derek | Hewitt, Amy | Nye-Lengerman, Kelly

Affiliations: Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Derek Nord, Institute on Community Integration, U of MN, 214 C Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Tel.: +1 612 624 0385; Fax: +1 612 624 9344; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: This national study investigated state economic health and state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services for persons with cognitive disabilities. Using 2004 to 2010 extant data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the U.S. Census Bureau, this study explains variability in state VR services employment outcomes based on state economic performance and state-level VR factors. The results show state economic performance explains a significant amount of the variation in state VR employment rates for persons with cognitive disabilities. An additional significant amount of variation was explained after accounting for VR programmatic factors. These findings have broad economic and programmatic implications that should be considered to improve the employment rate of persons with cognitive disabilities.

Keywords: Cognitive disability, economic indicator, employment outcomes, vocational rehabilitation

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-130628

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 149-156, 2013