Project Description:
The state agency, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), received a federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) model demonstration grant on Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE). The purpose of the SWTCIE program is to increase the opportunity for individuals with disabilities who are employed or contemplating employment at subminimum wage to obtain competitive integrated employment.
The Ohio State University Nisonger was engaged during the grant writing process as a subawardee to provide support in technology use for individuals with disabilities and to lead the evaluation component of this project. Data required to be collected is as follows:
-Number of entities holding or with pending applications for a section 14(c) certificate in the project's State;
For SWTCIE program participants working for an entity holding a section 14(c) certificate in the project's State at VR application:
- Number that are employed at subminimum wage;
-Number that are employed in CIE;
-Number that are employed in more than one job, at least one for subminimum wage and another in CIE;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage at subminimum wage;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in CIE;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in a combination of subminimum wage and CIE;
For SWTCIE program participants who are youths, including students, with disabilities:
-Number who are contemplating subminimum wage employment at VR application;
-Hourly wage at VR application;
-Number who are diverted from subminimum wage employment to CIE by VR case closure;
For SWTCIE program participants at VR case closure, with disaggregated data for youth, including students, with disabilities:
-Number that are employed at subminimum wage;
-Number that are employed in CIE;
-Number that are employed in more than one job, at least one for subminimum wage and another in CIE;
-Number that exit subminimum wage employment but do not obtain CIE;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage at subminimum wage;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in CIE;
-Number of hours worked per week and hourly wage in a combination of subminimum wage and CIE;
-Data on the effectiveness of specific VR services provided to SWTCIE program participants that transition to CIE;
-VR services that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to transition from subminimum wage employment to CIE;
-Strategies that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to exit subminimum wage employment and obtain CIE;
-Strategies that were effective for SWTCIE program participants to transition from subminimum wage employment to a combination of subminimum wage employment and CIE;
-Strategies that were effective in transitioning from a combination of subminimum wage employment and CIE to CIE only;
-Strategies that helped to divert from considering subminimum wage employment; and
-Evaluate the relationship between SWTCIE program participants' engagement with or use of specific practices and strategies implemented by the project and key outcomes
