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DRI
NEWS, ISSUE 2, SUMMER 2001
To receive a printed copy of this newsletter, please contact DRI at
217-265-0279. Additional information about the Symposium is also available
at April 26 Symposium.
APRIL 26 SYMPOSIUM: PARTNERSHIP IN A NEW PARADIGM
Leaders from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) joined together on April 26,
2001 to formally launch the Disability Research Institute (DRI). To
celebrate the occasion, the DRI hosted an all-day Symposium and reception.
Symposium guests included members of the academic, non-profit, and
government communities. The event symbolized a new paradigm of interdisciplinary
research on disability policy issues.
Topics discussed at the Symposium included how government agencies
and researchers can facilitate the conduct of DRI research, the definition
of disability, and the preliminary findings of the DRI's first year
research projects.
Welcoming speaker Paula Laird of the SSA discussed the accomplishments
of the Institute's first year, including setting up the infrastructure,
implementing the first year agenda and planning the second year agenda.
Managing Director, Chrisann Schiro-Geist, outlined the DRI's mission,
and Scientific Director, Tanya Gallagher, described the administrative
structure of the DRI and its relationships with affiliated institutions.
TOP SSA OFFICIALS SPEAK AT SYMPOSIUM
Dr. Paul Van De Water, Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Office of
Policy, made remarks on behalf of the SSA at the symposium reception
and participated in a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to honor the launch
of the DRI.
The SSA's Office of Policy comprises three main components: the Office
of Retirement Policy (ORP), the Office of Disability and Income Assistance
Policy (ODIAP), and the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics
(ORES). ORES conducts research to study the effects of Social Security
and SSI, and proposed changes in those programs, on individuals and
the economy.
The Symposium was enhanced by the contributions of the Acting Associate
Commissioner and Deputy Associate Commissioner for the Office of Research,
Evaluation and Statistics, Susan Grad. In addition, Paula Laird, one
of the SSA's DRI Project Officers, and Michael Marge, SSA Senior Disability
Research Advisor, served as panelists and answered questions. Peter
Wheeler, Senior Policy Advisor, who was instrumental in the creation
of the DRI, facilitated working group discussion.
The Disability Research Institute represents one of several initiatives
by SSA's Office of Policy to strengthen the Agency's research capacity
since SSA became independent in 1995.
SYMPOSIUM PANEL DISCUSSIONS
The first session of the symposium covered major priorities and how
disability researchers can facilitate the conduct of DRI research. The
discussant panel included Sue Suter, David Gray, Fong Chan, and Allan
Hunt. In his remarks, David Gray recommended studying people who are
working and examining the factors that influence their work. Fong Chan
discussed the limitations of traditional vocational rehabilitation due
to the late timing of the intervention. The importance of utility, credibility
and rigor in broader, interdisciplinary, policy-oriented research was
emphasized by Allan Hunt in his remarks. Finally, the panelists spoke
of the need to learn from and communicate with researchers in complementary
fields.
The second panel discussed how government agencies can facilitate the
conduct of DRI research. The panel included Michael Marge, Ruth Brannon,
Donald Lollar, and Thomas Hale. Dr. Marge gave an overview of the broad
topics of an emerging research agenda for the Social Security Administration.
Ms. Brannon spoke of the mission and philosophy of the NIDRR and its
five core research areas: improved employment outcomes, health and function,
technology for access and function, independent living and community
integration, and associated areas. The challenge of measuring the employment
rate and identifying people with disabilities and their employment status
was covered by Thomas Hale. Confirming the Center for Disease Control's
emerging emphasis on improving the health of and preventing secondary
conditions for people with disabilities, Donald Lollar offered suggestions
to encourage a climate of communication, collaboration and cooperation
among researchers, government officials and policymakers.
The audience responded to the panelists with lively discussion both
during the sessions and in the breakout sessions that followed.
THE FUTURE OF THE DRI
During lunch, the Symposium participants were asked to develop comments
and recommendations to present to the group-at-large. What follows are
some of their suggestions and comments on research areas, practice areas
and activities. DRI staff and researchers appreciate the guidance offered
by the symposium guests. Interested readers may call the DRI for a transcript
of the proceedings.
Some suggested issues to be addressed included:
- The role of assistive technology in the workplace, including research
into the full cost of the technology
- Corporate "best practices" in hiring and keeping persons with disabilities
working
- Types of disabilities that affect older workers and discovery of
the point in time the disabilities begin and begin to affect work-related
activities
- Research methodologies: the size, accuracy and availability of datasets;
quantitative vs. qualitative measures
- New occupational titles
- How disability fits into the normal span of life; the need for longitudinal
research
- Mental health issues
- Success factors for people with disabilities who overcome employment
barriers
- The demographics of the SSI, SSDI populations
In defining the role of the DRI, the group suggested:
- Provide access to data for other research groups across the nation,
with guidance in terms of the dissemination and application of the
information.
- Facilitate dialogue among research centers and develop mechanisms
to share the different research questions that are being addressed.
- Educate the nation about the services of Social Security and address
myths of disability.
- Involve employers, educators, medical professionals and rehabilitation
specialists in the analysis and application of the research findings.
SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS
- Monroe Berkowitz - Professor of Economics, Emeritus, Rutgers
University
- Scott Bilder - Project Director and Data Analyst, Institute
for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University
- Ruth Brannon - Program Specialist, National Institute
on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
- John Burton - Professor, School of Management and Labor
Relations, Rutgers University
- Fong Chan - Professor, Dept. of Rehabilitation Psychology
and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Tanya M. Gallagher - Scientific Director, DRI and Dean,
College of Applied Life Studies, UIUC
- David B. Gray - Instructor and Research Professor, Program
in Occupational Therapy, Washington Univ. School of Medicine
- Bruce Growick - Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Services,
Ohio State University
- Thomas Hale - Economist, U.S. Department of Labor
- Allen Heinemann - Professor, Dept. of Physical Medicine
& Rehabilitation Northwestern University and Associate Director,
Research, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
- H. Allan Hunt - Assistant Executive Director, W.E. Upjohn
Institute for Employment Research
- Mary Grace Kovar - Research Vice President, Epidemiology
and Public Health, National Opinion Research Center, University of
Chicago
- Douglas Kruse - Professor, Human Resources Management,
Rutgers University
- Paula Laird - Project Officer, DRI
- Donald Lollar - Chief of Disability and Health Branch,
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Michael Marge - Senior Disability Research Advisor, U.S.
Social Security Administration; Research Professor, SUNY Upstate Medical
University
- Fred Menz - Professor and Director, Research and Training
Center, University of Wisconsin, Stout
- Chrisann Schiro-Geist - Managing Director, DRI and Professor,
Community Health, UIUC
- Stephanie So - Assistant Professor, Departments of Community
Health and Economics, UIUC
- Sue Suter - President, Suter and Company
- Patricia Taylor - Clinical Research Scientist, Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago and Professor, Northwestern University Medical
School
- Peter Wheeler - Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Social Security
Administration
- Edward Yelin - Professor of Medicine & Health Policy,
University of California, San Francisco
PROFILES OF YEAR 1 RESEARCHERS
The nine researchers featured on the following pages are responsible
for the research projects of the DRI's first year. Information about
their research projects and preliminary results can be found on the
DRI web site.
- Monroe Berkowitz, Ph.D. - Emeritus Professor of Economics,
Rutgers University
Dr. Berkowitz has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization,
the International Labor Organization and to various disability benefit
programs in the United States and abroad. He was formerly the research
director of Rehabilitation International. He is the author of books
and articles dealing with the costs of spinal cord injury, the total
costs of disability at the firm and the national level and the costs
and benefits of rehabilitation programs. Research Project Title:
Designing an Early Intervention Experiment and Demonstration Approach
for the Social Security Administration
- John F. Burton, Jr., Ph.D. - Professor, School of Management
and Labor Relations, Rutgers University
Dr. Burton studies workers' compensation and occupational safety and
health law, as well as other types of social insurance programs. He
served as Dean of Rutgers' School of Management and Labor Relations
from 1994-2000 and Director, Institute of Management and Labor Relations,
1991-94. He has edited and co-authored several books including Employment
Law: Cases and Materials, and has published in The Review of Economics
and Statistics and The Yale Law Journal. He served as the editor of
the Industrial Relations Research Association and will serve as National
IRRA President in 2002. Research Project Title: Designing an Early
Intervention Experiment and Demonstration Approach for the Social
Security Administration
- Allen Heinemann, Ph.D. - Director, Rehabilitation Services
Evaluation Unit, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Since 1985, Dr. Heinemann has worked at the Rehabilitation Institute
of Chicago where he directs the Rehabilitation Services Evaluation
Unit, a rehabilitation-focused health services research unit. He is
also associate director of Research at RIC and professor in the Department
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University
Medical School. His research interests focus on health services research,
psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation including substance abuse,
and measurement issues in rehabilitation. He is the author of more
than 80 articles in peer-reviewed publications and is the editor of
Substance Abuse and Physical Disability published by Haworth Press.
He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division
22) and a Diplomate in Rehabilitation Psychology (ABPP). He is the
recipient of the Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology - of the American
Psychological Association) Roger Barker Distinguished Career Award.
Research Project Title: Research Approaches to Validation of SSA's
Medical Listings
- Mary Grace Kovar, Dr. P.H. - Research Vice President
for Epidemiology and Public Health at the National Opinion Research
Center (NORC) at University of Chicago
Before joining NORC, Dr. Kovar was Special Assistant for Data Policy
and Analysis at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) where
she was involved with the development and analysis of many of the
nation's major health surveys. She has published 125 articles in peer-reviewed
journals and served as a consultant to international bodies such as
the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as to many
national organizations such as the Institute of Medicine and the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation. She has served as a member of the editorial
board of the American Journal of Public Health and the Journals of
Gerontology. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association,
the American College of Epidemiology, the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, and the American Public Health Association.
She has a particular interest in the effective use of data in formulating
public health policy. Research Project Title: Research Approaches
to Validation of SSA's Medical Listings
- Douglas Kruse, Ph.D. - Professor, School of Management
and Labor Relations, Rutgers University
Dr. Kruse conducts econometric studies on disability, profit sharing,
employee ownership, pensions, and wage differentials. Among his books
are Profit Sharing: Does It Make A Difference? which won Princeton's
Richard A. Lester prize for Outstanding Book in Industrial Relations
and Labor Economics, and The New Owners (with Rutgers colleague Joseph
Blasi). His articles have appeared in journals such as Industrial
and Labor Relations Review, Economic Journal, Monthly Labor Review,
Brookings Review, and Industrial Relations. He is a Research Associate
with the National Bureau of Economic Research (Cambridge, MA) and
was appointed to the President's Committee on Employment of People
with Disabilities. He serves on the editorial board of Industrial
Relations and the board of the Profit Sharing Research Foundation,
and has conducted several studies for the U.S. Department of Labor.
Research Project Title: New Work Arrangements and Disability Income
- David Mechanic, Ph.D. - René Dubos University
Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Institute for
Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University
Dr. Mechanic moved to Rutgers University in 1979. He was Dean of the
Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1980-1984), and established the Rutgers
Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (1985).
He directs the NIMH Center at Rutgers for Research on the Organization
and Financing of Care for the Severely Mentally Ill and serves as
the Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's National Health
Policy Investigator's Program. He has served on numerous panels of
The National Academy of Sciences, federal agencies and non-profit
organizations. He has written or edited 24 books and approximately
400 research articles, chapters and other publications in medical
sociology, health policy, health services research, and the social
and behavioral sciences. Research Project Title: Barriers to Employment
Among Persons with Mental Impairments
- Lisa Schur, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Rutgers University
Dr. Schur focuses on disability issues in employment and labor law,
particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act and its relationship
to other laws and social policies. She also studies alternative work
arrangements such as contingent work, and the connections between
workplace experiences and political participation among people with
disabilities. Her work has appeared in the Industrial and Labor Relations
Review, Social Science Quarterly, Labor Law Journal, Political Research
Quarterly and Journal of Disability Policy Studies. Research Project
Title: New Work Arrangements and Disability Income
- Stephanie So, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Univ. of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. So is an economist and has been at the University of Illinois
since 1996. She holds a joint appointment in the Departments of Community
Health and Economics, and is affiliated with the Institute for Government
and Public Affairs. Dr. So's current research for the Disability Research
Institute is focused on household and family responses to work related
disability, and on policy that affects disability benefits and health
insurance. Other ongoing research topics are concentrated in technology
adaptation in medical markets. Her teaching involves health care finance,
project evaluation and statistics. Research Project Title: Disability
Benefits as Household Income and Labor Supply Decisions of Household
Members
- Edward Yelin, Ph.D. - Professor of Medicine and Health
Policy at the University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Yelin serves on the faculty of the Institute for Health Policy
Studies and the Institute for Health and Aging at USCF. Since 1993
he has directed the Education, Epidemiology and Health Services Research
Component of the UCSF Multipurpose Arthritis Center. His research
concerns the social and economic consequences of chronic disease and
disability, with an emphasis on employment issues. He is the Principal
Investigator of the California Work and Health Survey. Research
Project Title: Employment Outcomes for Persons with Disabilities in
a Mature Economic Environment
FOCUS PAPERS IN PREPARATION
DRI is preparing focus papers on a number of topics relevant to disability
policy. They will be made available both in hard copy and on the DRI
web site (www.als.uiuc.edu/dri) after peer reviews.
The following University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty were
asked to write papers: Reginald Alston (Community Health); Craig Olson
(Labor and Industrial Relations); Adrienne Perlman (Speech and Hearing
Science); Steven Petruzzello (Kinesiology); Elizabeth Powers (Institute
of Government and Public Affairs); Robert Rich (Law); and Helena Worthen
(Labor and Industrial Relations).
DRI OFFERS PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH COURSE
DRI is developing a Web-based research course to meet the needs of
a diverse population of research consumers, including the public-at-large,
and more specifically, persons with disabilities. The course will focus
on basic principles of quantitative as well as qualitative research.
Scientific terminology will be explained and concepts of qualitative
inquiry will be explored. Readers will learn how to understand research
studies and other literature. The course will help to make the Disability
Research Institute's research work truly accessible to all consumers.
In addition, the course may give some readers the background they need
to begin carrying out research of their own on data which is maintained
by the Disability Research Institute. Look for more information about
the Public Service Research Course on the DRI Web site during summer
of 2001.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION ONLINE: INTERNATIONAL LISTSERV
LAUNCHED
Everyone interested in disability research and policy is invited to
become a member of the DRI electronic discussion list, or listserv.
By joining this online community, you will have an opportunity to communicate
with colleagues around the world on disability research issues. This
newsletter is also distributed through the listserv; by joining now
you ensure prompt electronic delivery of the latest edition of this
free newsletter. To subscribe, go to our web site at http://www.dri.uiuc.edu/newsletter/default.htm
SEE WEB SITE FOR LATEST DRI NEWS
Click on http://www.dri.uiuc.edu/ for
the latest about DRI. The site features information about DRI research
projects, our staff and affiliate partners, as well as recommended web
links related to disability research and a calendar featuring future
events and conferences.
RESEARCH FACULTY OF THE DISABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Northwestern University, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
- Rita K. Bode - Research Asst., Professor of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Christine Chen - Research Asst., Professor of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Allen W. Heinemann (Fellow) - Professor of Physical Medicine
& Rehabilitation
- Camille O'Reilly - Project Coordinator of Rehabilitation
Services Evaluation Unit
- Patricia Taylor - Research Asst., Professor of Physical
Medicine & Rehabilitation
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Monroe Berkowitz (Fellow) - Professor Emeritus, Economics
- John F. Burton (Fellow) - Professor, School of Management
& Labor Relations
- Heather J. Cammisa (Fellow) - Research Associate, School
of Management & Labor Relations
- Stephen Crystal (Fellow) - Research Professor, School
of Social Work
- Douglas Kruse (Fellow) - Professor, Human Resources Management
Department
- Donna D. McAlpine (Fellow) - Research Assoc., Institute
for Health, Health Care Policy & Aging Research
- David Mechanic (Fellow) - Director, Institute for Health,
Health Care Policy & Aging Research
- Lisa Schur (Fellow) - Asst. Professor, School of Management
& Labor Relations
- Jamie Walkup (Fellow) - Associate Professor, Psychology
- Lynn A. Warner (Fellow) - Assistant Professor, School
of Social Work
University of California at San Francisco, Department of Medicine,
Division of Rheumatology
- Laura Trupin (Fellow) - Data Manager
- Edward Yelin (Fellow) - Professor of Medicine and Health
Policy
University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center
- Patricia Cloud - Research Librarian, Director of the
Sheatsley Library
- Mary Grace Kovar (Fellow) - Research Vice President of
Epidemiology and Public Health
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Community Health
- Chrisann Schiro-Geist - Professor
- Stephanie So (Fellow) - Assistant Professor
DISABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE TECHNICAL ADVISORY
PANEL
- Lex Frieden - Senior Vice President, The Institute for
Rehabilitation and Research
- William G. Johnson - Professor, Department of Health
Administration and Policy, Arizona State University
- Mitchell P. LaPlante - Director, Disability Statistics
Center, University of California, San Francisco
- Virginia P. Reno - Director of Research, National Academy
of Social Insurance
- Denise G. Tate - Associate Professor, Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation Department, University of Michigan
- Margaret Turk - Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
SUNY Upstate Medical University
DISABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
- Monroe Berkowitz - Professor Emeritus, Economics, Rutgers
University
- Tanya M. Gallagher - Dean, College of Applied Life Studies,
UIUC
- Bradley N. Hedrick - Director, Division of Rehabilitation-Education
Services, UIUC
- Allen W. Heinemann - Professor, Physical Medicine &
Rehabilitation, Northwestern University
- Mary Grace Kovar - Research Vice President of Epidemiology
& Public Health, University of Chicago
- Thomas I. Prudhomme - Senior Associate Director, National
Center for Supercomputing Applications, UIUC
- Chrisann Schiro-Geist - Professor, Community Health,
UIUC
DISABILITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
College of Applied Life Studies
University of Illinois
1207 South Oak Street Room 158
MC-575
Champaign, IL 61820
www.dri.uiuc.edu
8/3/01
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