Nationally, data on employment rates from 2017 illustrate a large discrepancy, 40%, between the employment rates of people with disabilities compared to those without disabilities.

More specifically, the employment rate for those 18-64 without disabilities is 77.2% versus the same age group of individuals with disabilities at 37%. CPHI has worked with the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Office of Independent Living to create a random assignment study, SEEKS, to increase employment for adult persons (ages 18-60 years of age) with disabilities who receive services from a Center for Independent Living (CIL), increase gross income, and/or reduce social isolation. Colorado is the only state which received funding from National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to test this new approach.