National Disability Institute — Understanding Employment Options and Supports

Statewide Need
Texans with disabilities live in poverty at a rate twice that of peers without a disability and experience a lower rate of employment. The financial fragility of this population lends to an increased need to build the capacity for individuals to have access to the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance their employment status and economic self-sufficiency.

Project Goal
Develop statewide educational materials and online trainings that promote employment and financial empowerment that enhance self-determination and self-sufficiency. Provide Texans with Developmental Disabilities (DD) the knowledge to make informed choices about the impact of work on Social Security disability benefits and personal finances.

Project Summary
NDI developed a wide-reaching educational campaign on work incentives and disability benefits. The campaign included two webinars, two short videos, and an online self-paced training program in English and Spanish.

The webinars were aired live in English (with captioning) and provided attendees an opportunity to ask questions via a chatbox. The interactive online course, “Making the Choice to Work: Social Security Disability Benefits and Work Incentives,” consists of eight modules customized specifically for Texas. The course is available online and can be accessed at any time and as many times as needed through a computer or smartphone. The videos and archived webinars are available through YouTube. All videos and the online course provide references to additional resources and assistance for individuals with DD who are considering entering or reentering the workforce.

• Impact
  
  • The project is estimated to have reached in excess of 5,000 people
  • The webinars had 240 live participants and have been viewed on-demand by over 1,700 others
    • 113 people joined the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) webinar live event and the archive has had 259 view
    • 127 people joined the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) webinar live event and the archive has had 1,491 views
  • 95 individuals have viewed the Spanish on-demand videos
  • Texans with DD now have a better understanding of work incentives, disability benefits, and their options for entering or reentering the workforce

• Resources
  
  • “SSDI and SSDI Work Incentives” – Webinar developed in English and translated into Spanish
  • “SSI and SSI Work Incentives” – Webinar developed in English and translated into Spanish
  • “Answering the Big Question: If I Go to Work, Will I Lose My Medicaid or Medicare?” – Short video developed in English and translated into Spanish
  • “Debunking the Three Biggest Myths About SSI and Work” – Short video developed in English and translated into Spanish
  • “Making the Choice to Work: Social Security Disability Benefits and Work Incentives” – Interactive online course in English and Spanish on how to maintain eligibility for public benefit programs while increasing income and assets through employment