Overview of AIDD's Longitudinal Data Collection Projects
For more than 20 years, AIDD has funded the following longitudinal data collection projects under its Projects of National Significance:
- The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities
- Access to Integrated Employment: National Data Collection on Day and Employment Services for Citizens with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- The National Residential Information System Project (RISP)
Purpose
In fiscal year 2012, AIDD required the grantees of these three projects to collaborate with each other and work with AIDD to identify specific variables that will give the public an overview of each state regarding community integration and employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this collaboration is to provide a brief description of trends, services, and opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in each state. The outcome will be a link on the grantees’ web sites that will provide users with each state’s synopsis.
Activities
Data from these studies are collected on a national level and are used to identify areas of specific need, helping lawmakers and other stakeholders make the most educated policy and care decisions for individuals with developmental disabilities in the United States.
A brief overview of each project is provided in the following sections. For more information about the projects, visit the pages listed under Directly Related Resources on this page.
The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities
Administered by the University of Colorado, this study was established in 1982 to investigate the determinants of public spending for intellectual and developmental disabilities services in the United States. The State of the States maintains a longitudinal record of revenue, spending, and programmatic trends at state and national levels for fiscal years 1977–2009. The project identifies quantitative data about the state of supports and services in the United States, including data on community services and supports, public and private institutions, fiscal efforts in states, and demand for services and supports.
Access to Integrated Employment: National Data Collection on Day and Employment Services for Citizens with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
This study has been in place since 1988, extending research describing day and employment services for individuals with developmental disabilities and contributing to an understanding of the factors that influence employment at the individual, service provider, and state levels. Conducted by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the project assesses the employment and economic status of individuals with disabilities as well as the effectiveness of state intellectual and developmental disabilities agencies and vocational rehabilitation agencies in promoting the full inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities through employment and other community activities.
The National Residential Information System Project (RISP)
RISP continues more than 20 years of analysis of annual state-by-state and national statistics on residential services for people with developmental disabilities, including state and non-state institutional settings and community and home-based residential services. The research is conducted through the University of Minnesota’s Research and Training Center on Residential Services and Community Living Institute on Community Integration.