Research

ADA National Network Research

Each of the 10 regional ADA Centers conducts research on various aspects of ADA implementation, employment, community integration, and other disability issues. Visit the ADA National Network to connect to other regional ADA Centers and learn more about their research projects.

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center Research

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center research projects are conducted in collaboration with the University of Maryland, College Park.

2021-2026

Disability, Race, and the ADA: Connecting People to Their Rights

This project conducted focus groups to explore the ways Black people with disabilities find information about the ADA and engage in efforts to assert their rights under the law.

This brief outlines focus group findings and offers recommendations to address multiple marginalization:
Black People with Disabilities and Their Rights Under the ADA: A Summary of Research Findings

This brief features more detail about the study and highlights focus group participants’ comments:
Research Brief: Voices of Black People with Disabilities and Their Rights under the ADA

NEW! View our BIPOC Disability History Timeline: Disability History Through the Activism of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Communities

NEW! Check out this bibliography of articles and research reports related to race, disability, and intersectionality:
Intersectionality of Race and Disability: Scholarly Research Library

Register for sessions in the free webinar series, The Human Experience of Black People with Disabilities and Their Rights Under the ADA, taking place throughout 2025!

Check out the archived sessions in the series:

Aging, Disability, and Work: Sustaining Jobs, Improving Lives, A Multi-Phase Study

How can we better support workers with disabilities aged 50 and older in understanding and using the ADA? Our recent research study uncovered effective strategies, best practices, and outreach methods to expand awareness and improve support for this group. Through focus groups we gained valuable insights into their needs and challenges.

Learn more about this study in our article published in the Journal of Rehabilitation: Workplace Accommodations for Older Workers with Disabilities: An Analysis and Comparison of Recruitment Methods

2016 – 2021

ADA Compliance: An Exploration of Barriers and How Individuals Gain Information on the ADA

This project conducted focus groups with youth with disabilities and older adults with disabilities, in order to identify barriers to ADA compliance encountered by these groups, particularly in relation to employment and community participation. Read more about the research and findings in these articles and reports:

Brief: Older People with Disabilities: Challenges and Practical Recommendations

Article published in Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education Volume 37, Number 3, 2023: Aging and Disability: An Exploration and Barriers and Facilitators to Community Living

Article published in Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education Volume 35, Number 2, 2021: The Road to Work: Youth with Disabilities and Their Views on Employment and the ADA

Local Government Implementation of the ADA: An Exploration of Activities and Factors Affecting Statutory Compliance

This study analyzed implementation and compliance issues to inform the development of training and resource materials, fact sheets, and technical assistance activities.

ADA Title II Compliance Survey of County-Level Jurisdictions: Mid-Atlantic Region (printer-friendly)

ADA Title II Compliance Survey of County-Level Jurisdictions: Mid-Atlantic Region

Title II Implementation in the Mid-Atlantic Region: 2010 – 2015 Case Law Review (printer-friendly)

Title II Implementation in the Mid-Atlantic Region: 2010 – 2015 Case Law Review

Employer Survey

Together with C5 Consulting, LLC, we conducted a survey of employers in the Mid-Atlantic region to find out more about their practices and their needs related to recruiting, hiring, accommodating, and retaining qualified workers with disabilities:

Speed Data: Employer Survey on Disability Inclusion (printer-friendly)

Speed Data: Employer Survey on Disability Inclusion

We continue to develop training and materials to respond to employers’ needs. Employers can also find resources on inclusive employment practices on our employers’ page.

2001 – 2016

The Mid Atlantic ADA Center research project on employment was conducted by the University of Maryland, College Park. The goal of the research was to develop a model depicting individual, organizational, and environmental factors affecting the provision of reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. The research activities included a comprehensive literature review, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a preliminary test of the proposed model designed to benefit both employers and individuals with disabilities in their awareness, knowledge and understanding of reasonable accommodation in the workplace.

The comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of Reasonable Accommodation Literature includes brief descriptions of a wide range of research projects.

Employers’ Top 10 Factors Contributing to Successful Reasonable Accommodation Outcomes