Resources

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program is the largest workforce program in the United States, providing employment services to people with disabilities to help them retain or enter competitive integrated employment commensurate with their abilities and capabilities. During the pandemic, state VR services were significantly affected and in some cases those services were halted for a period of time as agencies attempted to reroute services virtually and to eventually provide in-person contact. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a recession in the United States that impacts all workers. Historical data in the U.S. show that people with disabilities are more likely than their peers without disabilities to drop out of the workforce during economic downturns and are less likely to recover employment after the recession ends.

When school leaders use evidence-based tools focused on equity for observations, they have greater potential to improve classroom practice.

This report was produced by the Institute for Educational Leadership, Inc. (IEL) to examine the persistent gaps in educational and employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities in the United States. The report focuses on comparative data for youth and young adults with and without disabilities between the ages of 14 and 24, including those opportunity youth that education and workforce systems have failed to adequately support, to highlight the needs of this transition age population. This information can support practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to better understand and serve this population.

Leaders of Tomorrow is a leadership program developed by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) with a curriculum co-created by immigrant and refugee youth. The goal of Leaders of Tomorrow is to support and mobilize immigrant and refugee youth through opportunities to expand their knowledge, strengthen their skills, access tools and resources, and improve their own circumstances and those of all children, youth, adults, and families in their communities.

A Blueprint for Community Inclusion Strategies for Youth with Developmental Disabilities in Washington, DC provides a summary of comments and common themes among DC youth with disabilities and their families. This includes their top priorities, solutions to pressing issues, and ways that allies (individuals and organizations) can better support them. These priorities are foundations for a framework for policy and action steps that leaders, public institutions, and others can take to better engage and serve youth with disabilities in the District.

This document includes “Frequently Asked Questions” intended to support state and local efforts in effectively using ARP ESSER funds to advance evidence-based full-service community schools and related approaches.

This guide is designed to help youth with disabilities become stronger advocates and encompasses a wide array of issues including how a bill becomes a law, how to educate yourself on the issues that are important to you, and how to use that information in talking with your legislator.

This toolkit describes how VR professionals can use the VR Learning Lab Model, which Y-TAC developed and field-tested, to promote youth voice and engagement in service systems improvement.

This publication supports vocational rehabilitation state agencies to better understand and utilize the Learning Lab model to engage youth people and adults together in solving challenges of adult and youth service delivery systems.