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Institute Research and Development |
The Institute for Economic Empowerment conducts research, demonstration, and development projects to make substantial progress toward full and fair employment for individuals with significant disabilities, particularly those facing the most significant disability-related barriers to employment.
Below is a list of the current research activities:
Employee Research System
The Institute has established the Employee Research System (ERS) to track the employment of people with significant disabilities over time. This nationwide database enables analysis of individual employee-level outcomes for AbilityOne employees, non-AbilityOne employees and others receiving services from Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs). The goal of ERS is to support research and evaluation, advocacy, policy development, business development and fundraising, benchmarking, continuous improvement and Quality Work Environments (QWE) for people with significant disabilities.
Expanding Employment Choice for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The Institute is running a model to expand employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, utilizing an in-depth discovery process and experiential learning as a basis for individuals to make a fully informed choice.
Budget Scoring Model for AbilityOne Contracts
In order to increase the use of the AbilityOne Program and thus increase job opportunities for people with significant disabilities through the Program, the Institute is funding the development of a budget scoring model for AbilityOne contracts.
Employer Payroll Tax Incentives
In order to dramatically expand employer demand for workers with significant disabilities, the Institute will explore the creation of a new Employer Payroll Tax incentive that links employment of a specific percentage of persons with significant disabilities within the employer's workforce to a specific reduction of the employer's overall Federal payroll tax rate.
Veterans Workforce Initiatives
The Institute is identifying opportunities that are consistent with the career goals and employment interests of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans with significant disabilities.
The Institute also intends to test employment support strategies that are responsive to the long-term employment needs of disabled veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and/or major depression.
Health Information Technology
The Institute for Economic Empowerment undertook a project to investigate how Americans with disabilities might benefit from the employment opportunities created by the economic stimulus.
Financial / Benefits Counseling for People with Disabilities
The Institute is operating and evaluating a pilot project to provide financial literacy and benefits counseling technical assistance program for employees with significant disabilities.
The greatest outcomes for people with significant disabilities, and for AbilityOne nonprofit agencies will be over the longer term, as successful and tested models, strategies, and policies are adopted. Near-term and ongoing benefits are anticipated through projects improving communication and collaboration, disseminating successful practices and assistive technology, and through participation in demonstration projects.
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Recent News
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Grant Opportunities for Community Rehabilitation Programs |
January 23, 2012
Attention CRPs:
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has announced the availability of... |
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