Three people looking at a laptop. One is in a wheelchair.

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Accommodations, Employment Supports and Success for People with Physical Disabilities

This new national center will focus on the impacts of workplace accommodation practices on employment outcomes for people with physical disabilities.  This focus is based on research conducted by CIDI and by others that show the positive impact of accommodations on employment outcomes, yet also show that employees are not getting the accommodations and workplace supports that they need.  Thus, ACCESS-PD will include research on assistive technology (AT) and universal design, but will also examine both individual (e.g., AT mastery, race/ethnicity) and environmental factors (e.g., traditional vs. non-traditional work, funding policies) associated with improved employment outcomes.

Research Projects

ACCESS-PD includes four research projects that explore different factors that impact employment success:

  • R1. Longitudinal Study: The Impact of AT & Accommodations on Employment
  • R2. Contingent Employment Experiences among Marginalized Individuals with Physical Disabilities
  • R3. Impact of Government Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Policies on Employment Outcomes 
  • R4. Evaluation of the Use of Accommodation Decision Tools by VR Counselors
    • R4a. The Work ACCESS online accommodation assessment tool
    • R4b. The Continuum of AT Mastery tool for evaluating an individual’s mastery of their AT
       
Learn More

ACCESS-PD National Resource Center

ACCESS-PD will also establish a National Resource Center on the topic of employment and people with physical disabilities.  Activities will include:

  • Training
  • Technical Assistance
  • State-of-the-Science Symposium
Learn More

News & Events

November 13, 2024 at 2:00pm EST

Utilizing Telework as a Workplace Accommodation for Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

This webinar will explore how telework can benefit people with disabilities using Augmentative and Alternative communication and its future potential.
off site link (opens in a new window)

Research Opportunity

The impact of assistive technologies and accommodations on the non-traditional employment outcomes of people with physical/motor disabilities from Minoritized Populations.
on-site link

For more information about ACCESS-PD, contact: access-pd@design.gatech.edu 

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Acknowledgements

This research is being conducted under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant #90RTEM0010).  NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).