Effect of college or university training on earnings of people with disabilities: A case control study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of college or university training on earnings of individuals with disabilities receiving services through the public vocational rehabilitation system.

METHODS: A non-experimental case-control study design. Data for 178,290 individuals closed as successfully rehabilitation in fiscal year 2011 were extracted from the Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911) database.

RESULTS: Propensity scores were estimated based on demographic variables using the classification and regression tree (CART) method, which yielded six homogeneous subgroups, ranging from high propensity to received college or university training as a vocational rehabilitation intervention to low propensity to receive such service. Individuals who received college/university training had higher weekly earnings than those who did not, and had the greatest benefit for young adults; White, Asian, or Native American women with physical impairments; and people with mental impairments.

CONCLUSION: College or university training should be considered as a viable and beneficial option to improve employment outcomes and job quality for individuals with disabilities.