VCU awarded $8.8 million for research into employment of individuals with disabilities

By Sian Wilkerson

Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, part of the School of Education, has received two major awards totaling $8.8 million to support research on employment for transition-age youth with disabilities and employment among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The two five-year, $4.4 million awards from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will support studies led by Wendy Parent-Johnson, Ph.D., executive director of VCU-RRTC, and Paul Wehman, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education in the School of Education.

"We are excited for this opportunity to expand our work contributing new knowledge and resources that advance transition and employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities, inclusive of individuals from diverse and marginalized populations," said Parent-Johnson, who is also a professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education. "During these five years, we will conduct innovative research that informs service delivery practices, personnel preparation and professional development, and funding and policy decisions that can increase the number of students with disabilities who leave high school to achieve employment outcomes or to attend post-secondary education."

Established in 1983, VCU-RRTC provides resources for professionals, individuals with disabilities and their families. The center's team of researchers is committed to developing and advancing evidence-based practices to increase the hiring and retention for individuals with disabilities.

The first new award, "Transition to Employment for Youth with Disabilities," will be overseen by Parent-Johnson as principal investigator, with Wehman serving as co-PI. Wehman, who was director of VCU-RRTC from 1983 to 2023 before stepping down to concentrate on research, mentoring and grant development, cited the project's unique elements.

"It provides real work for real pay research and training for highly marginalized and underserved youth with disabilities," he said, "including those with Native American populations across the U.S., foster children youth with disabilities, youth with significant autism in large school systems in Virginia, and also those who are at high risk of justice involvement."

The second new award, "Employment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities," will be overseen by Wehman as PI, with Parent-Johnson serving as co-PI. It will focus on research and training to help individuals with IDD gain competitive employment in multiple states across the country. Researchers will work directly with job seekers with IDD, employment support service providers, community colleges, families and the business community, Wehman said.

Both awards are federal Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Program grants that fund coordinated, integrated and advanced programs of research, training and information dissemination in topical areas specified by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. These centers conduct research to improve rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems; improve health and functioning; and promote employment, independent living, family support and economic and social self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.

VCU-RRTC will collaborate with researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as Vanderbilt University, the University of Kansas and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.