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I.T. Works. Principal Investigator: Peter D. Blanck, Ph.D., J.D. Project Director: James L. Schmeling, J.D. Co-Investigator: Kevin M. Schartz, Ph.D., M.C.S. Co-Investigator: Robert David Dawson, Ph.D. I.T. Works.
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I.T. Works Principal Investigator: Peter D. Blanck, Ph.D., J.D. Project Director: James L. Schmeling, J.D. Co-Investigator: Kevin M. Schartz, Ph.D., M.C.S. Co-Investigator: Robert David Dawson, Ph.D.
I.T. Works • A project of the Law, Health Policy & Disability at the University of Iowa College of Law • Funded by U.S. Department of Education NIDDR grant H133A011803
LHPDC • The Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center is an emerging leader in law, technology, education and research. • We are focused on improving the quality of life for person living with disabilities.
LHPDC • Based at the University of Iowa College of Law, with a satellite office in Washington, D.C., the center concentrates on public policy and its impact on persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on employment, self-determination and self-sufficiency. • For more information, visit our web site: http://www.its.uiowa.edu/law
Definitions • I.T. – information technology: computers, software, telecommunications products and services, networks, Internet and online services • I.T.A.A. – Information Technology Association of America
More definitions • I.T. Firm – a company that creates and sells commercial I.T. solutions to customers • non-I.T. Firm – a company that uses I.T. solutions to assist in business operations but is not developing such solutions for commercial sales
Problem • Research shows there is demand for, and shortage of, trained information technology (IT) workers. • Research also shows the percentage of working individuals with disabilities is substantially lower than the percentage of working people without a disability.
Idea • Increasing the employment of individuals with disabilities in IT-related jobs would reduce the shortage for trained IT workers and increase the employment of individuals with disabilities.
Project Goals • Identify barriers to and facilitators of the hiring, retention, advancement, and wages of individuals with disabilities. • Test strategies to improve hiring, retention, advancement and wages of individuals with disabilities. • Provide training and disseminate research findings
Research • We have developed a model incorporating environmental factors, organizational factors, attitudinal factors, and individual characteristics to predict hiring rate, advancement rate, retention rate, and wages of individuals with disabilities. • Based on Harlan Hahn’s (2000) socio-political theory of the integration of individuals with disabilities into society
Environmental Factors • Accessible transportation • Accessible housing • Health care needs • Economic forces
Organizational Factors • Corporate culture • Accommodations provided • Availability of assistive and accessible technology
Attitudinal Factors • Attitudes and experiences of human resource (HR) personnel • Attitudes and experiences of IT trainers • Attitudes and experiences of co-workers
Individual Characteristics • Age • Gender • Ethnicity • Education • Socioeconomic status • Social support network • Health status • Disability • I.T. experience
Outcome Variables • Hiring rate • Advancement rate • Retention rate • Wages • Hours worked • Training Effectiveness
Research Question • Is the availability of assistive technology in an organization related to the advancement of individuals with disabilities within the organization?
Research Question • Are organizations that are aware of issues related to the employment of individuals with disabilities more successful in hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities?
Research Question • Are organizations with senior management who individually are aware of the needs of individuals with disabilities more successful in hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities?
Research Question • Are companies that provide and encourage the use of assistive and accessible technology and follow-up with appropriate training and evaluation more successful in hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities?
Research Question • Are organizations with larger budgets for assistive and accessible technology more successful in hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities?
Research Question • Are individual differences among individuals with disabilities a determining factor regarding the hiring, retaining, and advancing of individuals with disabilities?
Research Question • Are organizations with mentoring/internship programs for individuals with disabilities more successful at hiring, retaining, and advancing individuals with disabilities?
Methodology • A five-year longitudinal approach will identify trends in these measures over time. • Case studies, descriptive statistics, and multivariate regression analyses will be performed on the outcome measures to assess the influences of predictor measures, in combination and alone
Methodology • We will survey and interview: • human resource managers at IT and non-IT companies (defined by Information Technology Association of America), • individuals with disabilities working at these companies, • individuals with disabilities who graduated from Federally funded IT training and employment programs, • directors of these IT training programs, and • IT trainers
Target Audiences • Training activities will allow for the distribution of the research findings to the diverse target audiences: • employers • IT trainers and professionals • persons with disabilities in diverse employment settings • other researchers • relevant policymakers • IT training certification bodies • human resource managers • community colleges and university continuing education programs
Target Audiences, cont. • Centers for Independent Living and other disability-related organizations • Training and dissemination strategies used to reach these audiences will include: • trade association and conference breakout sessions • conference presentations • publications • webcasts • audio conferences • self-paced online distance learning courses • online listservs
Current Activities • Literature Review/Meta-analysis of attitudes research • Annotated bibliography of research on employment issues for individuals with a disability • Compiling a list of online resources • Survey instrument development Links to these items will be available on the project web site as they are developed. http://www.its.uiowa.edu/law/lhpdc/projects/it_works.html