Supporting Work: Strategies to Boost Employment for People with Disabilities

With action needed by 2016 to prevent depletion of the Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund's reserves, supporting work by people with disabilities has become a hot topic. This roundtable will explore policy solutions for helping individuals with disabilities enter and remain attached to the work force. Topics of discussion will include: early intervention strategies for helping workers with disabilities remain in the workforce; the role of vocational rehabilitation, as well as long-term supports and services in making it possible for some people with disabilities to work; proposals to harness the tax code to better support workers with disabilities; and strategies for supporting youth with disabilities in their transition to adulthood and the world of work; and more.  

• Paul Van de Water, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on work capacity of DI beneficiaries and overview of evidence regarding efforts to get DI beneficiaries back to work

   

  
   
• Shawn Fremstad, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress and Rebecca Vallas, Associate Director, Poverty to Prosperity Program, Center for American Progress -- authors (with Lisa Ekman) of a forthcoming report offering recommendations for supporting work and boosting economic security for people with disabilities
  
  
• Elizabeth Jennings, Deputy Director, National Disability Institute on boosting economic security and financial empowerment of people with disabilities
  
  
• Michael Gamel-McCormick, Associate Executive Director for Research and Policy, Association of University Centers on Disabilities on WIOA, assistive technology, transportation, housing, removing asset limits in SSI, and a broad array of recommendations for supporting work
   
• Joe Entwisle, Senior Health Policy Analyst, Health & Disability Advocates – Discussant. Policy recommendations and his personal experience and challenges of maintaining economic security as a Medicaid and SSI recipient 

• Moderator: Harold Pollack, Helen Ross Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago