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
Read More

KentuckyWorks: Comparison of Employment Data Infographic
Read More

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Annual Reports
Read More

American Community Survey (ACS) Data
Read More

Data from State intellectual and Developmental Disability Agencies
Read More

Kentucky National Core Indicators (NCI) Data
Read More