Research Brief: Employer Characteristics Associated with Employment Discrimination Charges under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been in place for more than 20 years, requiring most employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities while prohibiting discrimination in employment against them. Each year, around 30, 000 individuals file charges citing disability discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a State or Local Fair Employment Agency (FEPA). While not every filed ADA employment discrimination charge represents actual discrimination, and certainly not every case of perceived discrimination leads to a charge being filed, tracking trends in discrimination charges provides a unique source of data on perceived discrimination in the workplace. From 2005 through 2010, there was an annual increase in the number of employment discrimination charges filed under the ADA (see Figure 1); and according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) tabulations this upward trend has continued through 2012

What Works? How Federal Contractors are Implementing Section 503: Survey Report

In September 2013, The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published the final rule making changes to the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503). In March 2014, new regulations went into effect, setting new requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors, related to non-discrimination and affirmative action in the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. For example, contractors now are required to offer applicants and employees the opportunity to self-identify as a person with a disability and further to use the data collected to understand their progress toward a 7% utilization goal for employment of individuals with disabilities.1 This survey is part of a larger project entitled Initial Impact of Section 503 Rules: Identifying Effective Employer Practices and Trends in Disability Violations among Federal Contractors funded by the US Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office. The overall goal of this project is to understand the initial impact of these regulations on employer practices and consequently on the employment environment for individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the survey summarized in this report is to build an understanding of contractor disability-inclusive policy and practice in initially responding to Section 503 regulations. The survey is titled: What Works? How Federal Contractors Are Implementing Section 503, and is referred to as Section 503 Survey in this report

What Works? How Federal Contractors are Implementing Section 503: Executive Summary

This survey is part of a larger project entitled “Initial Impact of Section 503 Rules: Identifying Effective Employer Practices and Trends in Disability Violations among Federal Contractors” funded by the US Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office. The overall goal of this proposed project is to understand the initial impact of these regulations on employer practices and consequently on the employment environment for individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the survey summarized in this report is to build an understanding of contractor disability inclusive policy/practice in initially responding to Section 503 regulations. The survey is titled: What Works? How Federal Contractors Are Implementing Section 503, and is referred to as Section 503 Survey in this report

2008 Disability Status Reports: United States

The Annual Disability Status Reports provide policy makers, disability advocates, reporters, and the public with a summary of the most recent demographic and economic statistics on the working-age (ages 21-64) population with disabilities. They contain information on the population size, prevalence, employment, earnings, poverty, household income, home ownership, and activity limitations of working-age people with disabilities, as well as the composition of this population by age, race, gender, and educational attainment. This year, for the first time, the report also includes information about health insurance coverage and veteran’s service-connected disability rating

Research Brief: Absence and Disability Management Practices for an Aging Workforce

The goal of Disability and Absence Management (A & DM) programming is to limit absence, control costs, and retain workers to maintain a productive workforce.This can include the development of supportive policies (e.g. flexible work options), manager and employee education, supportive benefit programs, return to work programs, among others. A & DM professionals frequently use data on employee demographics, health, and risks in order to inform program design and implementation. Increasingly, older workers have become a group of interest among A & DM professionals, in part because many baby boomers are forgoing retirement and working longer, both out of financial need, and also because they enjoy their work and desire to stay involved.Projections suggest that by 2020 those 55 and over could account for 25% of workers.This shift is especially important for A & DM given that disability prevalence increases with age – as the workforce ages, organizations will increasingly need to ensure their programming supports older workers

Small organizations and Title I of the ADA: A survey study in Region 2

While both small and large employers cite barriers to employing and advancing individuals with disabilities, some issues are more common among smaller employers than their larger counterparts. The purpose of the current survey study is two-fold: 1) to understand the barriers to effective implementation Title I of the ADA among small employers, 2) to identify effective ways to educate and support small employers as they implement the ADA. We began survey development with a literature review and a set of interviews with leadership or HR professionals who implement Title I within the small organizations. Through these interviews, we identified themes related to the implementation of the employment provisions of Title I of the ADA. The survey includes questions that examine organizational policy and processes, topical areas of interest, ways of accessing information, and respondent/organizational characteristics. The survey respondents were from New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands (representing Region 2). The survey results highlighted the need to (1) establish a basic understanding of the terms, including disability and reasonable accommodations, (2) provide more guidance on practical implementation of the Title I, (3) support systematic information gathering and an accommodation process that considers small business work setting, (4) promote disability awareness at the workplace and among human resources personnel

State of the Science Conference: Abstract and Executive Summary

This document provides an overview of research findings presented and audience response at the “state-the-science” conference conducted by Cornell University October 22-23, 2013 in Washington, D.C. on the topic of Innovative Research on Employment Practices: Improving Employment for People with Disabilities

New York State Disability and Employment Status Report, 2009.

This Status Report is intended to provide information on disability in New York State, focusing on the working-age population (16-64 years old, except where noted). The report presents: 1) estimates of disability prevalence overall and among various groups; 2) indications of where disparities exist in employment rate, educational attainment, and financial status between people with and without disabilities; and 3) characteristics of New York State which may influence employment outcomes for people with disabilities

2009 Progress Report on the Economic Well-Being of Working Age People with Disabilities

This progress report on the prevalence rate, employment, poverty, and household income of working-age people with disabilities (ages 21-64) uses data from the 2008 and earlier Current Population Surveys – Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASES, a.k.a. Annual Demographic Survey, Income Supplement, and March CPS). The CPS is the only data set that provides continuously-defined yearly information on the working-age population with disabilities since 1981

2010 Progress Report on the Economic Well-Being of Working-Age People with Disabilities

This progress report on the prevalence rate, employment, poverty, and household income of working-age people with disabilities (ages 21-64) uses data from the 2010 and earlier Current Population Surveys – Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASES, a.k.a. Annual Demographic Survey, Income Supplement, and March CPS). The CPS is the only data set that provides continuously-defined yearly information on the working-age population with disabilities since 1981