Evidence to Employment: Transition Research in Action

In this episode of Evidence to Employment: Transition Research in Action, host Pete Temple connects with Dr. David Parker from the Gregory S. Fehribach Center at Eskenazi Health. Celebrating its 15th year, the center has expanded from a single student to a powerhouse program providing hundreds of paid internships to college students with physical disabilities across the Midwest.

Key Highlights:

• The Playing Field: Dr. Parker shines a light on the stark employment gaps for individuals with noticeable physical disabilities and discusses how combining a college degree with paid work experience can level the playing field.
• Beyond the Job Description: Discover the center's holistic internship model, which includes fully accessible housing, transportation support, and weekly professional development workshops on workplace disclosure and financial literacy.
• The Power of the Cohort: Learn about the unexpected, organic success of the program’s cohort model, where living together helps students build life-changing social capital, self-advocacy skills, and lifelong peer networks.
• Measuring Success via Quality Indicators: Dr. Parker breaks down the evidence-based evaluation framework designed by Dr. Roger Wessel, tracking core intern domains like autonomy, career readiness, and supervisor awareness.
• Exciting New Research: A look ahead at five newly funded, cutting-edge studies diving into crucial topics like workplace accommodations, early career progression, and measuring belongingness versus loneliness.

Final Word:

"To succeed in the workplace, social capital matters... It's about how do I use resources in my environment to learn and grow and get closer to my goals." — Dr. David Parker

Learn more about the Fehribach Center's impactful work and access their open-source research briefs by tuning into the full episode!

Welcome back to Part 2 of our deep dive with Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Research Lead at VCU-RRTC on Transition. In this episode, host Carolyn Cage and Dr. Hurford unpack how long-term research can shift workplace policy, what peer mentoring reveals about systemic employer bias, and the actionable steps families and educators can take to pull youth out of what deaf-blind activist Haben Girma calls the "muckety-muck" of societal ableism.

Dr. Hurford introduces the long-term vision behind her team's 28-month tracking study and explains why true preparation for the real world requires a delicate balance of robust assistive technology, fierce self-advocacy, and a willingness to let youth try and fail independently. From understanding "disability joy" to learning when not to help too much, this episode provides a vital toolkit for parents, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and educators alike.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• Confronting Workplace Stereotypes: Addressing the persistent myths employers hold regarding the cost of accommodations, productivity levels, and the integration of service dogs.
• The Value of a 28-Month Study: Why following high school seniors for over two years provides a full spectrum of empirical data on post-secondary and career outcomes that shorter studies miss.
• Cultivating "Disability Joy": The fundamental right of individuals with disabilities to experience fulfillment, hobbies, and authentic connection without societal barriers.
• The Assistive Tech Lifeline: Why early, aggressive training in both specialized tech (screen readers, braille refreshers) and mainstream tech (smartphones, AI) is the single biggest predictor of future employment success.
• Combatting Underemployment: A look at how systemic barriers force highly qualified individuals with visual impairments into part-time or lower-tier roles, and how strong coordination teams can break the cycle.

Learn More & Connect:

• Featured Guest: Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Research Lead at VCU-RRTC
• Host: Carolyn Cage, Director of Training for the VCU-RRTC
• Partner Spotlight: Special thanks to the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) for their invaluable expertise and partnership in this study.
• Access the Research: To connect with the project team, explore the data, or access the companion accessibility webinar, visit transition.vcurrtc.org.

Enjoyed this series? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a teacher, parent, or counselor in your network. Let's build an inclusive future together!

For teenagers, navigating high school, work, and independence can be a challenge. But for transition-age youth who are blind, deaf-blind, or have low vision, the path to adulthood comes with a unique set of systemic barriers—resulting in a staggering 45% unemployment rate for individuals with visual impairments.

In this episode, host Carolyn Cage sits down with Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Research Lead at VCU-RRTC on Transition. Rachel shares her inspiring journey from a fourth-grade safety patrol to a special education teacher, and eventually to a transition researcher. Drawing from her own lived experience as a member of the disability community, Rachel highlights why early work-based learning experiences (WBLEs) are crucial to long-term career success and dismantling societal stigma.

Tune in to discover how VCU’s collaborative, 9-month peer mentoring program pairs rising high school seniors with vision-impaired mentors, uses innovative participatory research tools like MediaVoice, and reshapes how employers think about hiring.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• The Power of Strengths-Based Work: How a single work-based learning experience can completely alter a student's trajectory, moving them from the brink of dropping out to a full-time career.
• The 45% Statistic: Unpacking the root causes of the high unemployment rates among the vision-impaired community, including a lack of workplace readiness, transportation, and mentorship.
• Introducing MediaVoice: A look at how this modification of PhotoVoice allows blind and low-vision youth to become co-researchers, using audio and photography to document and tell their own stories.
• Universal Design & Hidden Barriers: Why intentional accessibility in everyday communication—from email formatting to video conferences—is vital for building an inclusive environment.

Learn More & Connect:

• Featured Guest: Dr. Rachel McDonald Hurford, Research Lead at VCU-RRTC
• Host: Carolyn Cage, Director of Training for the VCU-RRTC
• Explore the Research: To find the resources, links, and the full accessibility webinar mentioned in this episode, visit transition.vcurrtc.org.

We are back with Part 2 of our deep dive into the groundbreaking research study, Towards Higher Education for All Youth with Disabilities. In this episode of Evidence to Employment: Transition Research in Action, host Carolyn Cage continues her conversation with study lead Jaclyn Camden to pull back the curtain on their five-year national research design.

Traditional college environments and career services weren't originally built with disability in mind. Jaclyn discusses how her team is tackling this systemic barrier by training the university professionals who run campus career services and accessibility offices. Discover how this three-cohort national study is piloting an innovative, 6-week online course paired with a year-long "Community of Practice" to boost staff self-efficacy and drastically improve career outcomes for students across all disability categories.

Whether you are a student looking to advocate for your future, a higher education professional trying to do "more with less," or an advocate for inclusive education, this episode offers a vital blueprint for shifting campus culture from basic access to long-term success.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• Shifting the System, Not the Student: Why targeting the professional environment is the most effective way to eliminate barriers to internships and employment.
• The Power of "Community of Practice": How bringing college professionals together across the nation fosters mutual learning, problem-solving, and sustainable professional networks.
• Overcoming the "Time" Barrier: A candid look at the biggest challenge facing campus staff today, and how the study addresses funding and staffing constraints.
• Measuring What Matters: How the study evaluates success by tracking both tangible student job placement and the confidence (self-efficacy) of university professionals.
• Actionable Advice for Students: Why leaning into campus career services early, raising your voice, and practicing self-advocacy is key.

Learn More & Connect:

• Featured Guest: Jaclyn Camden, Project Director & Study Lead at VCU-RRTC
• Host: Carolyn Cage, Director of Training for the VCU-RRTC
• Explore the Data: Learn more about the cohorts, read the research, and access free training tools at transition.vcurrtc.org.

Don't Miss Future Updates! Hit that subscribe button today. Carolyn and Jaclyn will team up again next year to share exclusive data and progress updates as the first pilot cohort concludes!

How is the rapid evolution of technology transforming the career landscape for students with disabilities? In this episode of Evidence to Employment: Transition Research in Action, host Carolyn Cage sits down with Jaclyn Camden, Project Director and Study Lead at VCU-RRTC on Transition, to discuss the past, present, and future of post-secondary education and career development.

Jaclyn shares her deeply personal journey into the field—from a high school counselor telling her she wasn't "college material" to witnessing her first cohort of students with intellectual disabilities walk across the VCU graduation stage.

The conversation dives deep into the necessity of innovation in higher education, highlighting a remarkable COVID-era success story of a virtual internship that turned into permanent employment. Jaclyn also introduces her groundbreaking new research study, which focuses on equipping diverse college professionals—from career services to accessibility offices—with the precise tools they need to connect students with all types of disabilities to meaningful internships and careers.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• The Power of High Expectations: How shifting the narrative around students with disabilities opens doors to higher education and meaningful employment.
• The Tech Shift in the Workforce: A look at data from the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report, and why college professionals must prepare students for a rapidly changing, tech-driven labor market.
• Innovation Through Virtual Support: How remote internships and digital tools (like Zoom) can successfully broaden geographical and professional access for students.
• Expanding the Research: Moving from specialized programs (like VCU's ACE-IT in College) to a broader professional development model that supports students across all disability categories on campus.

Learn More & Connect:

• Featured Guest: Jaclyn Camden, Study Lead & Project Director at VCU-RRTC
• Host: Carolyn Cage, Director of Training for the VCU-RRTC
• Explore the Research: To take a closer look at the data, strategies, and studies mentioned in this episode, visit transition.vcurrtc.org.

What's Next? Tune in to our next session, where Jaclyn goes "behind the scenes" and dives even deeper into the rollout and metrics of her current research study!

In this episode of Evidence to Employment, host Carolyn welcomes back Dr. Paul Wehman to discuss the future of transition and work for youth with disabilities. Dr. Wehman dives into the current landscape of research, sharing the challenges and triumphs of managing multiple studies aimed at improving employment outcomes.

In this episode of Evidence to Employment, host Carolyn Cage speaks with Dr. Paul Wehman about the critical role of supported employment and paid work experience for transition-age youth with disabilities. Dr. Wehman highlights groundbreaking research from the VCU-RRTC, emphasizing that paid internships and real-world jobs during high school are the strongest predictors of long-term career success. The conversation covers six diverse research studies aimed at underserved groups—including Native American youth, foster youth, and those involved in the justice system—with the goal of creating a "seamless" pathway from school to the workforce. Ultimately, Dr. Wehman argues that while the "paradigm shift" proving these individuals can work has already happened, the next great challenge is ensuring that families, teachers, and counselors have the training and information they need to turn that potential into reality.

In this episode, host Carolyn Cage sits down with Dr. Paul Wehman, a pioneering leader whose work helped shape supported employment and transition services for youth with disabilities. Dr. Wehman reflects on his personal journey, the early days of supported employment, and the many colleagues and mentors who influenced his path. He walks listeners through key milestones—from the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to the rise of supported employment, the ADA, and Medicaid waiver funding—that transformed opportunities for people with disabilities. Together, they explore how decades of innovation, advocacy, and collaboration continue to redefine what meaningful work can look like for all.