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Disability policy in recent decades has focused on the importance of increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, most notably with the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act but also through increased focus by the Social Security Administration on return-to-work programs. During this same period, concerns have risen over the increased number of young people receiving SSA disability benefits, both Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). Given the disincentives to work inherent in receipt of these programs, the participation of younger recipients may contribute to their lifelong dependence on these programs. This trend toward younger participants also brings into question whether the return-to-work approach of SSA and other programs is appropriate for persons who have experienced onset of disability at an early age. Traditionally, these programs have focused on a clientele who have experienced later onset of disability, usually after accumulating work experience.
Very little literature has focused on how the timing of disability may influence education and employment outcomes. The early onset of disability (at birth through young adulthood) can affect a person’s employment outcomes in myriad ways. In addition to the direct effect of disability on employment, early onset of disability likely affects the acquisition of education and job skills (human capital). This reduced “investment” in human capital in turn may reduce the individual’s employment and earnings prospects throughout their lifetime. If this is the case, people with early onset of disability may be doubly disadvantaged when it comes to later employment prospects.
This study examines the differential employment outcomes for individuals with early onset of disability compared with both those who are not disabled and those who experience disability later in life. Because people with early onset may face greater obstacles to completing schooling, particularly secondary education, the study focuses on the extent to which early onset diminishes educational outcomes and the effect of this disadvantage on later employment. We address the following questions:
- To what extent are the educational outcomes of persons with early onset of disability reduced relative to persons without disabilities?
- How do persons with early onset of disability differ in employment outcomes from those without disability and to what extent is this due to differences in education?
- Does onset of disability at an early age continue to affect employment outcomes later in life? How does employment of those who had an early onset of disability compare with employment of those who had an onset of disability at later ages?
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. First, we review relevant literature and set the context for our study. Then we discuss our methods, data, and how we define disability and onset. We present results in two sections, our analysis of a young cohort and our analysis of an older cohort. Finally, we provide a summary and conclusions.
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Disclaimer: The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.
