WORK ACCOMMODATIONS FOR OLDER WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

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Abstract

This project's goal is to determine the prevalence of workplace accommodations for older workers with disabilities and to evaluate the impact of these accommodations on retirement and on the risk of occupational injury. These analyses will be carried out primarily in the rich database of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS)- a longitudinal, nationally representative survey of older Americans. The specific aims of this project are: 1. To describe the prevalence of workplace accommodations and the factors that influence the likelihood of accommodation among older workers, using the first three waves of the HRS (1992-1996). 2. To compare the prevalence of workplace accommodations and the factors that influence the likelihood of accommodation among older workers with those among younger workers, using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (1994-1995 Disability Supplement). 3. To assess changes in the rate and nature of workplace accommodations over the first decade of implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), using the first five waves of the HRS (1992-2000). 4. To determine whether workplace accommodations prolong the worklife of older workers with disabilities, using the first five waves of the HRS (1992-2000). 5. To determine whether workplace accommodations prevent occupational injuries among older workers with disabilities, using the first five waves of the HRS (1992-2000).