Disabilities and Employment
People with disabilities make up a substantial portion of the workforce and potential workforce of this country. The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 not only initiated a national effort to use one-stop centers as the primary deliverer of employment, training and basic education services but also included the expectation that Americans with disabilities would have full access to these services.
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a series of grants to ensure that all of the Department's job-related programs are fully available to people with disabilities. These grants included funding for two technical assistance centers -- one focusing on adults, the other focusing on youth with disabilities. NCSL is a partner in both technical assistance centers. This website contains information on state activities related to helping people with disabilities find and maintain gainful employment.
Features
Legislation
- State Legislation Summaries
* Archive: 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002
- Federal Legislation
* Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
* Assistive Technology Act of 2004
* H.R. 27, The Job Training Improvement Act of 2005 (Analysis from a Disability Perspective)
* Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA)
* Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Summary)
* Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999
* Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)
* Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Publications
NCSL LegisBriefs--password required, unless otherwise noted
- Breaking Down Technological Barriers (pdf)
- California Workforce Inclusion Act (HTML document)
- Customizing Jobs for People with Disabilities (pdf)
- Improving the Lives of Young People with Disabilities
- Long-Term Care and Medicaid (pdf)
- Medicaid Buy-In Programs for Workers with Disabilities (HTML document)
- New Departments Address Disability Issues (pdf)
- Personal Assistance Services on the Job (pdf)
- Ticket-to-Work: Connecting People with Disabilities to Jobs (HTML document)
- "United We Ride" Coordinating Human Services Transportation (pdf)
- Workforce Development Staff Competencies (pdf)
- Young People with Disabilities: Moving from Dependence to Independence (pdf)
Other Publications
- IDEA and NCLB: Intersection of Access and Outcomes
- Increasing Rates of School Completion: Moving from Policy and Research to Practice
- Innovations in Employment Supports: Colorado's State Division for Developmental Disabilities
- Levels of Invlolvement of State VR Agencies with Other One-Stop Partners
- One-Stop Career Centers: Serving People with Disabilities
- Serving People with Disabilities through the Workforce Investment Act's One-Stop Career Centers
- Serving Youth with Disabilities Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998: The Basics (pdf)
- The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities
- Ticket-to-Work: Medicaid Buy-In Options for Working People with Disabilities
- Underutilization of One-Stops by People with Significant Disabilities
Online Resources
- DisabilityInfo.gov
- National Center on Educational Outcomes
- National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult
- National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
- National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
- Section508.gov
- Social Security Administration's Employment Support for People with Disabilities
- State Information Technology Accessiblity Initiatives
- State Disability Data Online
- U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy
Questions about NCSL's work on disabilities and employment? Email us.
 Labor and Employment Main Page
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