New Approaches to Disability in Social Policy: The Case of the United States

The Conventional and Unconventional About Disability Conventions: A Reflective Analysis of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities

“…Many countries, including the United States, are struggling with making policies and programs more effective for people with disabilities. Golden et al (2007) reported that the United States is at a policy crossroads, having experienced a fragmented approach to policy development and implementation. Some policies cause community exclusion or create barriers rather than promoting inclusion for people with disabilities.…”

“…In terms of employment, the current SSA definition of disability as including the inability to engage in substantial gainful activity in effect negates the possibility of being employed. Such systemic policies may result in unintended negative consequences, such as preventing a person with a disability from working (Golden et al, 2007).…”

“…Many countries, including the United States, are struggling with making policies and programs more effective for people with disabilities (Golden, Zeitzer, & Bruyere, 2007). The recently released World Report on Disability (WHO, 2011) provides evidence that no nation has yet reached a state of satisfactory integration of people with disabilities in their society.…”

Workforce Development Policy: Unrealized Potential for Americans with Disabilities

“…Under the original, long-standing program, SVRAs offering VR services and supports that contributed to a disability beneficiary working at SSA's Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level 3 for a period of not less than 9 months within a 12-month period were reimbursed the costs of those services along with administrative costs. Under the original program, fewer than one-half of one percent of disability beneficiaries returned to work (Golden, Bruyère & Zeitzer, 2011) which caused Congress to establish the Alternative Provider Program in March of 1994. The Alternative Provider Program allowed SSA to refer disability beneficiaries not found eligible for services by SVRAs to contracted providers outside the state and federal VR program.…”

The Diversity Partners Project: Multi-systemic knowledge translation and business engagement strategies to improve employment of people with disabilities

“…Factors that contribute to the problem of unemployment among people with disabilities, such as the growth in funding of segregated supports and services over the last several decades (Butterworth et al, 2015;Inge et al, 2009;Nazarov, Golden, & von Schrader, 2012;Rusch & Braddock, 2004), and the receipt of public benefits, which may have the unintended consequence of a reduction in work activity among a broad population of people with disabilities (Golden, Zeitzer, & Bruyère, 2014;Nord & Nye-Lengerman, 2015), are compounded by poorly compensated direct support personnel with a high rate of job turnover in non-profit agencies that provide employment services (Bogenshutz, Hewitt, Nord, & Hepperlen, 2014). Further, our observations from the field suggest that fragmented employment service systems, a lack of information about disability across sectors, and a wide disconnect between the efforts to employ people with disabilities and the needs of the business community have presented barriers to the adoption of best practices and effective implementation of new policies designed to improve the employment rate of people with disabilities.…”