Advancing Disability Employment

The Heldrich Center is a national leader in improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. For over two decades, we’ve conducted rigorous program evaluations and research, delivered strategic technical assistance, and advised employers on building inclusive workplaces. We specialize in mixed-methods evaluations that uncover what works in disability employment. Our team collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data to assess workforce strategies, measure outcomes, and inform policy and practice.

Recent Project Highlights

Since 2010, we’ve partnered with the Kessler Foundation to evaluate more than 40 disability employment programs nationwide. Using interviews, administrative data, and document review, we produce interim and final reports that assess program effectiveness, guide program improvements, and provide insights to the Kessler Foundation to shape an impactful funding program.

Despite New Jersey’s 2012 Employment First policy, employment rates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain low. In 2021, the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities tasked the Heldrich Center — working with the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston — to evaluate the state’s approach. The resulting 2022 reports offered actionable strategies to strengthen integrated, competitive employment.

In partnership with Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute, we evaluated the Employer Assistance and Resource Network from 2019 to 2024. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, our research supported employer engagement and inclusive hiring practices nationwide.

From 2007 to 2013, the Heldrich Center managed the NTAR Leadership Center, a national initiative to boost leadership and capacity for disability employment across states. With funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, we partnered with Connecticut, Maryland, and Minnesota on intensive support; facilitated a 20-state peer learning network; and released over 20 research briefs and reports. 

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