Employment Rates Ages 18-64
- People with disabilities in Kentucky: 29.4%
- People without disabilities in Kentucky: 75.7%
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-year estimate
Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Kentucky
The information below presents data about employment for students with intellectual disabilities (ID), multiple disabilities (MD), and autism in Kentucky.
Definition: Competitive Integrated Employment is defined in Public Law 113-128 (29 USC 3101) – Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (2014) and its implementing regulations (2016).
Very simply put, Competitive Integrated Employment means that individuals with disabilities:
- Are paid no less than minimum wage and at least what other employees without disabilities who do similar work at that job are paid;
- Are eligible for benefits and promotions like their coworkers without disabilities who do similar work;
- Interact with other people without disabilities to the same extent as employees without disabilities who do similar work.
Learn more about Competitive Integrated Employment here.
Post-School Outcomes
From “Youth One Year Out” former student surveys:
- All former students with disabilities: 40.4% had competitive integrated employment in their first year after exiting high school;
- Former students with autism: 14.7% had competitive integrated employment in their first year after exiting high school;
- Former students with multiple disabilities (MD): 9.6% had competitive integrated employment in their first year after exiting high school;
- Former students with ID (FMD): 6.5% had competitive integrated employment in their first year after exiting high school.
Data Source: KYPSO, the Kentucky Post-School Outcomes Center
Postsecondary Education
Definition: Postsecondary education includes education and training by institutions of higher education (two- and four-year colleges and universities), as well as other career training and technical education programs.
- 1,105 students with ID exited Kentucky school districts
- 6.1% of students with ID enrolled at a college or a university
- 5.2% of students with ID enrolled in other postsecondary education or training
Data Source: KYPSO, the Kentucky Post-School Outcomes Center 2017-2018 data
Other State and National Data
Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Data
Persons with ID and Autism who received OVR services.
- 25.6% of applicants who received KY OVR services achieved competitive integrated employment
Data Source: OVR Closure Data from fiscal year 2020
Kentucky National Core Indicators (NCI) Data
- 7% of people on disability waiver programs have a paid job in the community (not necessarily integrated or competitive)
Data Source: Kentucky National Core Indicators Data Report 2018/2019
Data Resources
Kentucky Post School Outcomes Center (KyPSO) Data
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KentuckyWorks: Comparison of Employment Data Infographic
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Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Annual Reports
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American Community Survey (ACS) Data
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Data from State intellectual and Developmental Disability Agencies
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Kentucky National Core Indicators (NCI) Data
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