VCU RRTC

RRTC on Employment among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) 2019-2024+

Web site:   https://idd.vcurrtc.org

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VCU-RRTC) on Employment among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) provides needed information in employer practices that are associated with better employment outcomes for individuals with I/DD. The cornerstone of this research is a series of studies to examine the critical variables that can improve competitive integrated employment (CIE) outcomes for individuals with I/DD. These studies empirically examine the complex interactions between a wide range of variables directly impacting the employment outcomes of people with I/DD including: (1) understanding how a major corporation implements a demand side approach to hiring workers with I/DD, (2) identifying ways young adults from minorities with I/DD acquire technology skills to enable them to access careers in information technology (IT) fields, (3) understanding how college students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can use cognitive technology to impact their academic and employment outcomes, (4) assessing how parent intervention impacts parent expectations and their children’s CIE outcomes, and (5) understanding how training employment specialists using a competency based curriculum can improve CIE outcomes. VCU-RRTC establishes an advisory committee comprised exclusively of people with I/DD that assist in all stages of research and knowledge translation activities. These activities include establishing a National Resource Center for individuals with I/DD and their families and conducting a variety of customized dissemination and knowledge transfer activities. The new knowledge generated from this RRTC's research improves the CIE outcomes for individuals with I/DD and enhances rehabilitation professionals and other stakeholders' capacity to provide employment opportunities and supports. This project is in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, and Kent State University.