Kessler Foundation Releases Results of National Employment and Disability Survey

The West Orange-based Kessler Foundation recently released the results of a survey regarding disabled Americans’ employment experiences, almost 25 years after the landmark the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed protecting their rights.

The survey, conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH), identified strategies disabled Americans are using to look for work, keeping a job and how often they overcome obstacles. The Kessler Foundation said the survey results are anticipated to play a significant role in disability employment planning and policymaking.

The survey conducted was a household telephone survey, dialing 3,013 American adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64, the foundation said. The questions in the survey dealt with a number of categories, including Striving for Work; Preparing for Work; Searching for Jobs; Overcoming Barriers in the Job Search; Overcoming Barriers in the Workplace; and Workplace Accommodations.

The survey revealed that more than 68 percent of American adults with disabilities are striving to work and are actively preparing for work and looking for more hours, the foundation said.

Of the more than 3,000 people surveyed, less than 6 percent had never worked, just under 43 percent were currently working, 43.6 percent previously worked, 9 percent were looking for work and 17 percent had worked since their disability, according to the survey.

Researchers combined those who are currently working, or looking for work, or have worked since the onset of disability in the 68.4 percent of those striving for work. Additional factors demonstrate the desire to work and be a productive member of the workforce, including those with disabilities working an average of 35.5 hours per week, 40.6 percent want to work more hours and 60.7 percent work more than 40 hours per week, according to the survey.

“The survey offers important new information and data to the disability field, legislators, researchers, and the public,” the Kessler Foundation said on the survey overview. “The reframing of our national discourse will engender new priorities, policies, and programs for increasing the participation of individuals with disabilities in our workplaces.”

Click the following links to view the survey overview or to read either the executive summary or full report