Each year the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (“the TA Center”), looks back on its accomplishments and progress toward outcomes through a summative evaluation. This year is no different with the TA center demonstrating tremendous impact across its five channels: National Community of Practice, Results & Innovation in Systems Excellence (RISE) Peer Action e-Learning Communities, On-Demand TA, Resource Development, and Website and Resource Clearinghouse. These channels focus on systems change, innovation, and collaboration to address needs and areas of interest related to disability employment. Key areas of interest this year include financial independence; technological innovations; cultural competency; diversity, equity, and inclusion; knowledge translation and diffusion; and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include:
- An average of 372 people attended each of 12 webinars with 97% satisfaction
- Over 60 subject matter experts engaged in TA activities
- 38,427 website views
- 5 RISE communities with 100% engagement and 96% satisfaction
The TA Center demonstrated progress toward outcomes in areas such as increased knowledge and capacity to implement evidence-based practices, collaboration with partners, commitment to advance competitive, integrated employment, public policy reform and systems change, and commitment to share learnings with colleagues. As a result, grantees took action to build knowledge, discuss challenges, and identify strategies for implementation. For example:
- 92% of webinar participants reported an increase in knowledge
- 95% of webinar participants and 96% of RISE participants committed to implement one or more key learnings to advance competitive integrated employment
- 96% of webinar and RISE participants committed to share information learned with colleagues
Looking forward, the TA Center will continue its momentum into the 2022-2023 year by expanding its presence to conferences and events throughout the nation.
The full evaluation report is available here.
