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Presentations

This page provides sample training programs provided by the DBTAC-Northeast ADA Center. We encourage the national network of DBTAC's to make use of these presentation materials.

  • Assistive Technology and Transition (PowerPoint; 3.2 MB)
    The Assistive Technology and Transition PowerPoint provides a brief review of information that students transitioning from high school to post secondary education should about assistive technology as they leave the school environment. A case study of low-tech solutions in the workplace is provided. Presentation notes are included.
  • Current Research on Disability and Employment (PowerPoint; .9 MB)
    The Current Research on Disability & Employment training describe a Barrier-Intervention model, provides an overview of current disability statistics, and highlights some recent research on workplace discrimination. It also reviews the top five ADA-related issues and bases across EEOC and FEPA-Filed charges and the implications this information has for the National DBTAC network.
  • Longitudinal Analysis of Wage Discrimination among Women & Men with Disabilities (PowerPoint; 1.1 MB)
    The purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude of wage differences among closure 26 status competitively employed women with disabilities and men with disabilities who received vocational rehabilitation (VR) services from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) from 2003-2006 using the 2003-2006 RSA-911 databases. Participants in the study meet inclusion criteria based on employment status at closure and were matched on disability type, disability severity, ethnicity, level of education, age, cost of VR services, participation in VR counseling, region, being a recipient of public monetary support. Results indicate that women with disabilities who received services through RSA, regardless of type of disability or ethnicity, earn approximately one-third of a standard deviation less than men with disabilities who received services through RSA. The results of this study stress the need for more mutualistic relationships between policy makers and service providers to address the specific needs of women with disabilities who receive services from RSA. The current rehabilitation service infrastructure does not fit the needs of women with disabilities, and therefore policy makers and service providers must make systemic changes in order to best serve women with disabilities and help them achieve their maximum employment potentials. Researchers should continue to provide stakeholders with longitudinal data analyses so that all parties can make appropriate data-driven decisions. Discussion and implications of these results are presented, as well as limitations of the study.
  • Reaching Employers: Unpacking Barriers to Disability Inclusiveness (PowerPoint; 2.2 MB)
    Despite nearly two decades of the ADA, job-seekers with disabilities continue to face discrimination in the hiring process. Research on hiring discrimination has provided valuable insight into the nature of this discrimination and into how “automatic” ideas about job applicants with disabilities may be played out during a hiring decision. Another aspect to hiring discrimination for people with disabilities, however, may be deeply rooted in the organizational and business context within which hiring decisions occur. These subtle contextual factors, though not specific to disability, nonetheless profoundly impact job-seekers with disabilities by providing a powerful backdrop to how hiring decisions actually unfold in real-life organizational cultures. Factors such as rapidly rising productivity expectations and the precipitous increase in negligent hiring lawsuits, though not specific to disability, may create a situation where hiring managers are very risk averse in their hiring decisions—a situation that profoundly impacts the employment opportunities for any job applicant who appears “different.” In crafting effective approaches to reaching employers, VR practice will be strengthened by the unpacking of how hiring decisions are actually made in today’s workplaces. During this session, we will: 1) Co-explore ten subtle but powerful business, workplace and hiring trends that condition how hiring decisions are made and that impact job-seekers with disabilities; 2) Examine a new program approach aiming to reach employers by unpacking and addressing how these subtle but powerful barriers impact hiring decisions for applicants with disabilities and how, in turn, these hiring decisions effect competitive advantage; 3) Identify and discuss the implications of these trends and this program approach for vocational rehabilitation professional practice.
  • Causal Inference Using Observational Data (PowerPoint; .5 MB)
    As a type of scientific method most commonly used in testing the effectiveness of medical, educational, or psychosocial interventions by controlling selection bias, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is known as the "gold standard" of research. However, there are several disadvantages, especially in social science, including the difficulty of performing RCTs due to its complexity and high expense, and ethical challenges of experimental research. When systemic experimental designs are not feasible, observational data from surveys or censuses would be used, and several methods to utilize the national surveys for causal inferences been developed by several statisticians and econometricians. The purposes of this presentation are two-fold; (1) to present several methods of analysis (e.g., propensity scores, regression discontinuity, instrumental variables) for making causal inferences with observational data, and (2) to provide practical examples of the propensity score method developed by Rosenbaum and Rubin (1983) using the 2006 RSA 911 national data. As a version of regression, the propensity score method allows researchers to focus on the observed covariates using the predicted probability that individuals with certain characteristics would be assigned to a treatment group when assignment is nonrandom. Previous research only examined associations between certain types of services and rehabilitation outcomes. However, this study examines differences in rehabilitation outcomes among the consumers with similar propensities to receive certain types of services. Implications for future research are discussed.
  • Emerging Issues & Challenges Around ADA Employment Provisions (PowerPoint; .1.6 MB)
    When the ADA was passed in 1990, many thought that the last barriers to equal employment for individuals with disabilities had been eliminated. Our experience since 1990, though, has taught us that employment discrimination persists. Despite the fact that the ADA (specifically Title I which prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities) has prohibited discrimination in the workplace and mandated that employers provide reasonable job accommodations, individuals with disabilities are still being treated unequally and are finding it difficult to compete with workers without disabilities. One overarching problem in detecting discrimination against individuals with disabilities is the underreported incidents of discriminatory acts or practices. Many disability experts and researchers contend that many individuals with disabilities are content with and expect some level of discrimination because of the unconscious fear society has of disability. If members of the disabled community do not see themselves as being oppressed or discriminated against, then how can discriminatory practices and policies be changed. Therefore, during this panel discussion, we will explore from different perspectives the past, present and future of the employment situation for people with disabilities by discussing: where we are now-what is the evidence for employment disability discrimination (as shown by a EEOC charge data trends from 1993 - 2007), what barriers and challenges still exist, where should we go from here-what are some avenues for rehabilitation research and practice, and what are the implications for rehabilitation educators.















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