The objectives of this research project are to establish a complete, validated knowledge inventory of what works in the area of employability for women with disabilities into the IT field. We will bring research and document current statistics in the following areas by gender:
Number of persons in the US living with disabilities; Number of persons with disabilities of working age; Number of persons with disabilities of working age that are unemployed; Number of persons with disabilities enrolled in higher education; Number of persons with disabilities exiting with degrees or certificates in IT; Number of persons with disabilities skilled in IT and employed in IT.
This research will discuss the barriers that exist for women with disabilities to enter the workforce and specifically into the IT field. We will investigate the employer best practices / culture and provide completed documentation delineating existing programs including outreach, recruitment, and networks IT employers have with disability organizations.
We will examine the solutions that have been proposed, associated results and future outlook. Additionally, an integrated analysis of the overall lessons learned and, in the context of existing programs or legislation (i.e., The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA) we will explore to what degree these established mechanisms are meeting intended goals.
This paper will propose what actions are necessary to close the gap and increase the participation of women with disabilities in the IT workforce. We will attempt to research existing programs like Entry Point! to determine if it is successful and determine whether existing programs are effective, if these need a jumpstart, or, if new programs are needed to increase employability for women with disabilities.
It is recognized that persons with disabilities are often measured in the total population with overall diversity statistics and the success of this research effort is dependent on the availability of information reported by diversity type. Therefore, primary research will be conducted with expert advisors to achieve a good sampling where statistics are not reported.
