Strategies for Gaining Insight to the Employment Challenges of Veterans with Disabilities: Final Report to the Bob Woodruff Foundation

Abstract

In an effort to explore the continued challenges faced by post-9/11 veterans with disabilities as they transition from military service back to their home communities, the Cornell University K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI), with grant support from The Bob Woodruff Foundation, convened a series of focus groups with a critical lens on employment challenges and opportunities in the civilian workforce. The purpose of the focus group sessions was to gain understanding of and insight into the issues and personal perspectives of three distinct groups: veterans with disabilities, family members, and employers that hire and/or are interested in hiring veterans, with special concentration on those with disabilities. Focus groups for family members were supplemented by surveys in order to increase participation by individuals who were not able to attend an in-person meeting.