Research Study 2: Toward Higher Education for all Youth with Disabilities: An Efficacy Study
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The RRTC on Employment Among Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities is conducting six studies aimed at developing effective practices to improve employment outcomes of transition-aged youth. This plain language research brief provides an overview of Research Study #2.
The goal of this study is to test an online training and technical assistance model to encourage paid internships and employment opportunities for college students with disabilities. This study builds on previous work that focuses on providing training followed by year-long technical assistance to college staff supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We will update the course and modify the technical assistance based on feedback.
Study Overview
Our study will research the impact of an online training program and a Community of Practice model on college staff who work with students with disabilities on internships, employment opportunities, and postgraduation employment.
In this study, we will:
- Run a professional development intervention with three groups, training a total of 50 participants.
- Provide each participant with online training that includes evidence-based strategies for helping students with disabilities find jobs, building on lessons from our previous study.
- Randomly place participants in one of two groups—one that gets a year of additional technical assistance and one that does not—so we can test the impact of the technical assistance.
- Those in the technical assistance group will join a Community of Practice, where they will receive advice and collaborate to better support students in finding employment.
- Follow up with participants to see if the students they support have successfully secured paid employment opportunities as a result of the intervention they received.
- Finalize the professional development training and make it publicly available on our website for colleges nationwide after the three groups are completed.
Research Questions
1. What is the effect of the online training and Community of Practice on the ability of college personnel to provide career development activities, paid employment, and/or paid internship opportunities for their students with disabilities?
2. What is the effect of the online training and Community of Practice on the employment outcomes for students with disabilities post-graduation?
Importance of the Study
Many college students with disabilities face barriers to gaining work experience during school, which can affect their job opportunities after graduation. In 2019–2020, students with disabilities made up about 32% of the college population (NCES, 2023). While college students with disabilities bring valuable skills and perspectives, they often face challenges in finding full-time jobs, earning equal pay, building savings, or buying a home compared to their non-disabled peers (BLS, 2024; NCES, 2023; Phillips et al., 2022). Creating more inclusive work opportunities and support during college can help change this and open up pathways to long-term success.
Paid employment and internships are an important part of preparing for a career. For students with disabilities, these experiences help build confidence, expand their networks, strengthen self-advocacy, and lead to better job outcomes after college. In fact, students who have paid work or internships during college are more likely to be employed after graduation (Avellone et al., 2023; Domin et al., 2020; Phillips et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2023; Whittenberg et al., 2023). The previous RRTC study that this study is built on found that after the intervention, all college locations nearly doubled their paid work experiences.
Our study is important because it will help universities better support students with disabilities as they move from college to careers, leading to improved competitive integrated employment outcomes. When university staff have the right tools and training, they can better connect students to accessible career opportunities that match their goals and strengths. This study highlights the importance of tailored interventions in promoting inclusive employment opportunities for students with disabilities in higher education.
Learn More
To learn more about this study or the other studies conducted under VCU’s RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities, visit transition.vcurrtc.org.
References
Avellone, L., Taylor, J., Ham, W., Schall, C., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., & Strauser, D. (2023). A scoping review on internship programs and employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal, 12(1). doi.org/10.52017/001c.38785
Domin, D., Taylor, A. B., Haines, K. A., Papay, C. K., & Grigal, M. (2020). “It's Not Just About a Paycheck”: Perspectives on employment preparation of students with intellectual disability in federally funded higher education programs. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 58(4), 328-347.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Table 311.10. Number and percentage distribution of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, by level, disability status, and selected student characteristics: Academic year 2019–20 [Data table]. In Digest of education statistics. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education. Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_311.10.asp
Phillips, K. G., Nzamubona, K., Houtenville, A. J., O’Neill, J., & Katz, E. E. (2022). Recent college graduates with disabilities: Higher education experiences and transition to employment. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 35(3), 213-229.
Taylor, J., Thoma, C., Scott, L., Broda, M., Wehman, P., & Whittenburg, H. (2023). Inclusive educational and vocational predictors of postsecondary education for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. International Journal of Inclusive Education,29(6) 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2023.2225503
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics Summary, 2024. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm
Whittenburg, H. N., Rooney-Kron, M., Carlson, S. R., Malouf, E. T., & Taylor, J. P. (2023). Use of research-based transition recommendations for youth with disabilities in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act plans. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 67(4), 283-294. https://doi.org/10.1177/00343552231155218
The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number #90RTEM0014). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.