Breaking Down Work Barriers for People with Disabilities: Opportunities for Employers

According to a recent article published by the IZA Journal of Labor Policy, at least one-third of people with disabilities who are not working say they deal with barriers that could be alleviated through workplace accommodations like assisted transportation or flexible schedules. Findings from the 2017 National Employment and Disability Survey reveal that many employers strive to recruit, train, and accommodate workers with disabilities, yet findings from qualitative research suggest that employers may not deploy the resources and processes at their disposal consistently, or with equal efficacy, to benefit all employees with disabilities.

On March 1, from 1:00–2:30 p.m. (ET), Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy (CSDP) hosted a webinar to examine these issues. Panelists discussed: (1) actions employers can take to better accommodate employees with disabilities; (2) feedback from employer interviews about the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining workers with disabilities; and (3) findings from the National Employment and Disability Survey, recently released by the Kessler Foundation.

The expert panel included:

Moderator:

Jody Schimmel-Hyde, senior researcher at Mathematica

Presenters:

Purvi Sevak, senior researcher at Mathematica

Alix Gould-Werth, researcher at Mathematica

Kimberly Phillips, project director, University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability

Discussant:

Alan McClain, Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services