Center on Disability Employment Policy (DEP) - The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, in partnership with Cornell, Harvard, and Rutgers Universities, Mathematica, and knowledge dissemination partners will inform current and future employment policy and programs for people with disabilities. Over the next five years, the goal of DEP RRTC is to implement a comprehensive research agenda that establishes a forward-looking disability employment policy framework to realize the potential of people with disabilities across the full arc of the employment cycle. The Center’s objective is to conduct a cohesive set of randomized controlled trials, quasi-experiments, and qualitative studies to examine federal, regional, state, and industry policies and programs. This research will identify and enhance outcomes related to employment entry, wage and income levels, job retention and quality, and career paths to economic stability, in consideration of the current labor market frontier and new technologies such as AI. Anticipated outcomes for the target populations include state-of-the-art evidence for: policymakers to enhance employment policy development; VR and workforce development professionals to support job seekers; businesses, HR professionals, and employment providers to improve job retention, quality, and career paths; researchers, scholars, practitioners, and students to advance current and next-generation policy research that promotes employment and economic self-sufficiency for working-age adults with disabilities. The DEP RRTC will provide comprehensive and accessible knowledge translation customized for specific and across target audiences. Products will include peer-reviewed articles, books, presentations, policy briefs, newsletters, and online and in-person technical assistance for policymakers, people with disabilities, business leaders, and VR professionals, as well as webinars and virtual academies for collective learning and action.
