RESEARCH General Health

DISABILITY RESEARCH
Scholars to gather to discuss projects by Social Security grant

Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

6/1/02

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The status of current and future research aimed at informing policy decisions by the U.S. Social Security Administration will top the agenda when researchers affiliated with the Disability Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and policy analysts from the SSA and other government agencies convene at DRI's annual symposium June 6.

"SSA Disability Benefits: Apply, Qualify ... Return to Work" is the theme of the daylong symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Highlights of recently completed and ongoing research projects will be presented and discussed, with topics ranging from "Human Factors and Employment Issues Related to the Use of Assistive Technologies," a project directed by Brad Hedrick, director of the Division of Rehabilitation-Education Services at Illinois, to "New Work Arrangements and Disability Income," by Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse, professors at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

"This has been an interesting time of change for the Social Security Administration," said Chrisann Schiro-Geist, managing director and co-principal investigator for DRI. SSA is continuing to refocus its interest on "researching policy on applications and procedures on what had been traditionally an income and support program to one that promotes a 'return to work' strategy," she said.

DRI, which is funded by a five-year, $5.25 million grant from SSA's Office of Research, Evaluation & Statistics and housed in the College of Applied Life Studies at Illinois, was established in 2001 to assist SSA in determining the impact of its disability-income programs on the lives of applicants and recipients.

"The founding of the institute was historic in the sense that research has extended beyond internally executed research or contracted research by SSA," said Tanya Gallagher, dean of the College of Applied Life Studies at Illinois, who serves as scientific director and co-principal investigator for the institute. "This was a historic advance to situate a disability research institute that would serve as a network for researchers across the country to be involved and to inform key policy decisions about the (Social Security) program. The ultimate benefit from such a "far-sighted and innovative" structure that promotes "a direct, intimate relationship and ongoing dialogue" between field researchers and the SSA, Gallagher said, is "the creation of a wider network of creative ideas."

"As scientific director, I'm meeting with people from fields not typically involved with disability issues. Due to the urgency of societal needs, people have responded, saying they want to be more involved. Part of our bright future will be becoming more successful in recruiting researchers from these other fields to apply their skills to disability issues; the value of that will become increasingly clear."

More information on the symposium and DRI is available on the Web at www.als.uiuc.edu/dri.