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

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.

Individual, agency, and state economic characteristics

“…Further research supports the claim that the overall influence of the employment rate is impacted at both agency and personal levels (Nord et al, 2013). Nord and colleagues (2013) found that when the overall employment rate was high employment outcomes of individuals utilizing VR services also increased.…”

“…Further, Honeycutt and others (2015) found that overall agency resources as associated with a status of OOS may contribute to differences in employment outcomes among state VR agencies. Other research has confirmed that state-level economic factors such as the unemployment rate influence VR services and employment outcomes (Nord et al, 2013). By building off of these works, the aim of this study is to seek how state VR agency differ across personal characteristics, agency level and state-economic factors.…”

“…Nord and colleagues (2013) found that when the overall employment rate was high employment outcomes of individuals utilizing VR services also increased. For example, initial employment rates at VR agencies before the Great Recession were about 61.4% for individuals with cognitive disabilities however these rates declined steadily to 59.3% in 2010 (Nord et al, 2013). Further, the employment population-ratio explained about 11.2% of the variation in VR employment rates for people with cognitive disabilities (Nord et al, 2013).…”

“…Of these variables, the effect of unemployment rate on outcomes of VR agencies has been heavily researched. Nord, Hewitt and Nye-Lengerman (2013) investigated economic and programmatic variables that help explain the variation of closure rates among individuals with cognitive disabilities. Overall, the authors found that the VR agency was impacted by the national employment rate.…”

“…Overall, the authors found that the VR agency was impacted by the national employment rate. As the national employmentpopulation ratio increased from 2004 to 2007, the VR agency success rate increased from 58.9% to 62% (Nord et al, 2013). Not only does the national unemployment rate impact VR outcome, but the labor market and unemployment rates in a specific community also influence VR outcomes.…”