Summary Review of Data Sources for School to Work Transitions by Youth with Disabilities - Policy Brief

This brief summarizes our findings from a review of potential data sources to examine school-to-work transitions by youth with disabilities (Wittenburg and Stapleton, 2000). Our objective was to identify data sources for future school-to-work analyses that contain longitudinal information on youth with disabilities. We conclude that the following data sources are most promising based on our selection criteria: Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health); Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) 911 Database and RSA’s Longitudinal Study of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR); state administrative data (multiple states); National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88); National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS); National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students-2 (NLTS-2); and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: 1997 (NLSY:97)

Review of Data Sources for School to Work Transitions by Youth with Disabilities

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School to where? A literature review on economic outcomes of youth with Disabilities

This paper summarizes the recent empirical literature on post-secondary school outcomes of youth with disabilities. Our summary illustrates the variation in characteristics and outcomes that exist in several subpopulations generally defined as youth with disabilities. Unfortunately, a major limitation of this literature, particularly for special education students and SSI recipients, is a lack of information on recent outcomes. Specifically, there were no major data collection efforts, at least at the national level, to track these populations in the mid to late nineties. While upcoming data sources, such as the National Longitudinal Transition Survey2 (NLTS2) and National Survey of Children and Families (NSCF), should fill major gaps in existing knowledge, other data initiatives are necessary to ensure that policy makers continuously have current information. We suggest several types of survey and administrative data initiatives, as well as new research projects using current data, to address current gaps

Transitions from AFDC to SSI Prior to Welfare Reform – Policy Brief

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs serve overlapping target groups. SSI serves adults and children with disabilities from low-income families, while TANF serves low-income families with children. Consequently, policy changes in one program can affect the other. The target group for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), TANF’s predecessor, also overlapped with SSI’s target group. Many have anticipated that the replacement of AFDC with TANF in August 1996 would eventually increase SSI participation as TANF recipients with disabilities sought SSI benefits to avoid TANF work requirements and time limits

Impacts of Expanding Health Care Coverage on the Employment and Earnings of Participants in the SSI Work Incentive Program - Policy Brief

While people with disabilities often say that a loss of public health insurance is a deterrent to work, it is rare to find situations in which they might actually exhibit such a behavioral response to a change in access. Expansions in the income threshold for SSI work incentives program (Sections 1619(a) and (b)) provide an opportunity to observe such a response. Section 1619(b) allows SSI recipients to maintain Medicaid eligibility even if their income is above the level that makes them ineligible for SSI payments. If earnings increase beyond the 1619(b) threshold, however, the person loses their SSI and Medicaid eligibility. Section 1619(b) income thresholds vary significantly across states and over time. Stapleton and Tucker (2000) use the variation in Section 1619(b) income thresholds to examine the employment, earnings and program participation patterns of SSI recipients who have incomes near the threshold level for their state. They find strong evidence that many SSI recipients restrain their earnings to stay below the 1619(b) threshold. It is important to note, however, that the findings only provide evidence on the behavior of a small portion of the population with disabilities (i.e., SSI recipients who work). Nonetheless, this evidence seems to provide strong empirical support for the hypothesis that lack of access to health insurance is an important work disincentive for people with disabilities. They also find that 1619(b) participation varies significantly from month to month. Consequently, cross-sectional estimates on the share of SSI recipients participating in 1619(b) significantly understate the share of SSI recipients who ever participate. These findings are consistent with previous findings that cross-sectional estimates of employment tend to understate multi-period employment patterns for the broader population with disabilities

Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities - Policy Brief

The purpose of this brief is to summarize the wide range of federal programs and government policies that influence the employment and program participation decisions of people with disabilities and current research initiatives related to these programs and policies. The brief is organized by the following types of programs, policies, and initiatives: • federal programs that provide cash assistance, in-kind transfers (e.g., health insurance) and education, training, and rehabilitation support based on disability status and/or other characteristics (e.g., family structure); • federal tax policies that provide credits either directly to individuals with disabilities or to employers as an incentive to hire a person with a disability; • other employment-related programs and public policies that provide accommodation support and work incentives for people with disabilities; • recent policy changes that affect people with disabilities; and • some of the current research initiatives related to federal programs, tax policies, other employment programs and policies, and recent policy changes. We conclude with a summary of our program, policy, and research scan. This publication is based on The Economics of Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities, which provides a more comprehensive review of the policies and programs discussed here (as well as others) and analyzes the employment effects of these policies and programs within an economic framework

A User Guide to Current Statistics on the Employment of People with Disabilities-Research Brief

A MAJOR DEBATE is taking place over reports of an unprecedented decline in the employment rate of working age people with disabilities over the 1990s business cycle (1989-2000) by those using currently available national representative data sources. See Figure 1. The debate is focused on the quality of the data, with some critics calling on the Federal government to end all its financial support for the dissemination of employment estimates for people with disabilities using currently available data. Others argue that although the current data are usable within certain limits, the declines in employment reported are quite sensitive to the definitions used to capture the “relevant” population with disabilities

The Economics of Policies and Programs Affecting the Employment of People with Disabilities

Over the last several decades, there has been a movement toward the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream social institutions. The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which supports the full participation of people with disabilities in society and mainstream institutions, illustrates the shift in attitudes toward people with disabilities. Rather than being perceived as having a social or medical problem, individuals with disabilities are increasingly viewed as people with challenges that can be solved if appropriate policies and supports are available for addressing them