Center for Employment and Disability Research

Although the majority of people with disabilities are striving to work, many lack the opportunity to contribute their talents in the workforce. The Center seeks new ways to expand employment for individuals with disabilities, including veterans, through collaborative research with national surveys, medical rehabilitation centers, universities, and vocational services.

John O'Neill, PhD

Director

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Hospitality Industry Survey Reveals Disability Hiring Strategies

2024 Supervisor Survey

The latest Kessler Foundation survey of supervisors in the hospitality industry has revealed critical insights into the recruitment, support, and accommodation of workers with disabilities. The findings offer actionable takeaways for employers looking to diversify their workforce and enhance workplace inclusion.

Read the 2024 Survey

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Monitoring the Disability Employment Gap

Kessler Foundation, in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability, issues customized, monthly reports titled “National Trends in Disability Employment.” nTIDE is based on the monthly jobs report issued on the first Friday of every month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. nTIDE compares the economic indicators of employment for people with and without disabilities. With each nTIDE report, experts host a 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (ET) Lunch and Learn Webinar featuring in-depth analyses, guest speakers, and news updates.

Learn More About nTIDE

Browse nTIDE Press Releases

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Earn a free certificate to build a more inclusive workforce

A free certificate program, “Employing Abilities at Work,” prepares human resource professionals and others to confidently attract, hire, and retain people with disabilities successfully in the workplace. This training tool can effect change and growth in companies looking to diversify their workforce. Kessler Foundation provided an initial grant to help launch this effort in 2022 by SHRM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Maintaining Employment After Spinal Cord Injury

Center scientists are advancing employment after spinal cord injury through an evidence‑based Vocational Resource Facilitation model. A pilot‑tested guide and the Return-to-Work podcast series share practical strategies that begin during rehabilitation and continue after discharge, helping more people with SCI return to meaningful employment.

Access the Free Guide Listen to Return-to-Work Podcasts

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Research defines disability employment trends over a decade

The findings from this 2022 Effects of COVID-19 survey share firsthand knowledge of the profound effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on workplace processes, procedures, and the ways employers recruit, hire, train, and retain people with disabilities in the workforce. The data also compare the perspectives of supervisors today with their counterparts surveyed in 2017.

The 2020 Recent College Graduates survey reports on the experiences of the first “ADA Generation” in the workplace. It compares the college experiences and work lives of graduates with and without disabilities. The survey also identifies disparities in career choices and employment outcomes.

The 2017 Supervisor Perspectives survey was the first to review workplace practices from the perspective of supervisors of employees with and without disabilities. Researchers learned the effectiveness of approaches used by employers to recruit, hire, train, and retain people with disabilities.

The 2015 first survey in this series identifies strategies that Americans with disabilities use to search for work and navigate barriers, accommodations that are helpful to obtain and maintain employment, and factors that contribute to unemployment. These findings have helped reframe the traditional dialog about disability and employment.