Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

How Families Can Empower Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd) From Racially And Ethnically Diverse Backgrounds, Esther Kamau, Jennifer Bose, Jean Winsor

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This brief shares the perspectives and experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse family members of four youth who shared their employment and community engagement stories. It outlines the pivotal role these families played to support youth with IDD to find and maintain competitive integrated employment and to meaningfully engage with their communities. It draws from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with youth with IDD, their family members, and job coaches.

Increasing Housing Stability Through State-Funded Community Mediation Delivered By The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (Hmp) Fy2023 Evaluation Report, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The Massachusetts Housing Mediation Program (HMP) is a comprehensive statewide program that provides free housing mediation services as a tool to increase housing stability with the intention of preventing homelessness created by landlord-tenant disputes. It is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and deploys the community mediation system infrastructure with 11 Community Mediation Centers (Centers) participating and serving all 14 counties of the Commonwealth to provide free conflict resolution services for tenants and landlords/property managers with housing disputes at any stage, from the earliest point a problem occurs, up to, and …

Racial Disparities In Snap Receipt For Eligible Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Sokha Eng, Weichun Yan, Brian Beauregard, Susan R. Crandall

Center for Social Policy Publications

Despite qualifying as income eligible, many Massachusetts families do not access SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. Due to the sharp increase in the cost of living, especially the cost of housing and food expenses, more families are facing food insecurity. Thus, it is critical to ensure that families in need receive SNAP benefits. While previous studies have examined racial disparities, there is a limited focus on Asian American families. Even fewer studies disaggregate data to explore disparities among Asian American ethnic subgroups. Further, few studies have addressed disparities in SNAP receipt specifically for income eligible families.

The purpose of …

How Families And Employment Professionals Can Form Partnerships To Support Youths And Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd), Jennifer Bose, Esther Kamau, Jean Winsor

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This brief highlights the perspectives and experiences of family members of four young adults with IDD who shared their employment and community engagement stories. The brief outlines the roles families played to support the youth adults to find and maintain competitive, integrated employment and to engage meaningfully with their communities. It draws from in-depth, semi structured interviews with young adults with IDD, their family members, and job coaches.

Summary Of Statedata: The National Report On Employment Services And Outcomes Through 2021, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Daria Domin, Agnes Zalewska, John Shepard, Esther Kamau, Ryan Wedeking

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This Data Note summarizes the findings from the National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes Through 2021. Overall, the findings suggest that across data sources, people with IDD experience greater levels of unemployment, underemployment, low wages, and poverty compared to those without disabilities and those with non-IDD disabilities.

Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Agencies’ Employment And Day Services (1988–2021), Agnes Zalewska, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Data Note 87 summarizes core findings from the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI) National Survey of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies’ Employment and Day Services through FY 2021.

Comparing Vr Services Rate Between Black And White Job Seekers Across The Us, Alberto Migliore, John Shepard

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Data Note 85 explores differences in receiving VR services between Black and white job seekers. Nationally, the data indicated that there was little discrepancy between Black and white job seekers in exiting a VR program in 2022. However, the discrepancy was pronounced at the state level.

Estimating The Impacts Of Legislation To Expand Affordable Quality Child Care And Early Education In Massachusetts: Initial Findings On Utilization, Employment, And Financial Assistance. Research Brief #1, Randy Albelda, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Anne Douglass, Christa Kelleher, Songtian Zeng, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

The UMass Boston Early Education CUSP is led by a multidisciplinary team that designed the simulator and uses it to produce current, relevant, accurate, and responsive estimates about the key impacts of proposed legislation to expand access to affordable, quality child care and early education. One of the simulator’s valuable features is that it can produce estimates for a range of policy parameters and provisions. The team will release additional briefs in the coming months to offer a more detailed look at the impacts outlined in this initial publication. Other planned briefs will examine key topics, such as impacts related …

Second-Generation Latino Immigrant Assimilation In Massachusetts, Phillip Granberry, Mary Jo Marion

Gastón Institute Publications

Approximately one-fourth of Latinos in Massachusetts are second-generation immigrants. This population is defined as having at least one foreign-born parent. Massachusetts has 216,964 second-generation Latino immigrants, which ranks fourteenth among states. However, second-generation Latinos represent a 25.5% share of all Latinos in Massachusetts, and this share ranks 35th among states. In comparison, 37.8% of all Latinos in California are second-generation immigrants. This lower share in Massachusetts is because Puerto Ricans, the largest Latino population in the Commonwealth, have birthright citizenship and therefore are not considered foreign-born.

The foreign-born have many reasons for migrating, but their children's future success is a …

Late-Life Gender Disparities In Economic Security: Evidence From The 2022 Elder Index, Jan E. Mutchler, Nidya Velasco Roldán, Yan-Jhu Su

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Estimates from the 2022 Elder Index illustrate the elevated risk of economic insecurity experienced by older women, especially those living alone. We use the Elder Index to calculate the percentage of older adults living in one- and two-person households with annual incomes that do not support economic security. National averages suggest that half of older women living alone, along with 42% of older men living alone, have annual incomes below the Elder Index. In addition, 21% of older couples have annual incomes below the Elder Index. Women in same-sex couples experience greater levels of disadvantage than men in same-sex couples …

Defining Intellectual And Developmental Disability: A Comparative Overview Across Five National Datasets, Daria Domin, Ryan Wedeking

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Data Note 86 shares a comparative overview of the different definitions of intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) from five national data sources on employment outcomes: National Survey of State IDD Agency Employment and Day Services; Rehabilitation Services Administration; American Community Survey; National Core Indicators; and Social Security Administration. The goals of this Data Note are to provide clarity about how each data source defines the IDD population and support readers’ understanding of the results from each source.

Brasileiros Nos Estados Unidos E Em Massachusetts: Um Perfil Demográfico E Econômico, Michelle Borges, Phillip Granberry, Alvaro Lima, Victor Luis Martins

Gastón Institute Publications

Os brasileiros têm uma presença significativa e em crescimento nos Estados Unidos. Em 2021, o Ministério das Relações Exteriores do Brasil estimou que 4.215.800 brasileiros estavam vivendo no exterior. Dentre eles, calculou-se que 42% estavam vivendo nos EUA. Portugal (7%) foi o segundo país mais procurado por Brasileiros, seguido por Paraguai (6%), Reino Unido (5%), Japão (5%), Itália (4%), Espanha (4%), Alemanha (3%), Canadá (3%), e França (2%) seguidos por uma série de outros países.

É bem documentado que o Censo dos Estados Unidos subestima as populações de baixa renda, estudantes e imigrantes, especialmente os indocumentados. No entanto, dentro dessa …

Brazilians In The U.S. And Massachusetts: A Demographic And Economic Profile, Michelle Borges, Phillip Granberry, Alvaro Lima, Victor Luis Martins

Gastón Institute Publications

Brazilians have a significant and growing presence in the United States. In 2021, when the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimated that 4,215,800 Brazilians were living abroad, it calculated that 42% of them were living in the U.S. Portugal (7%) was distant second, followed by Paraguay (6%), United Kingdom (5%), Japan (5%), Italy (4%), Spain (4%), Germany (3%), Canada (3%), France (2%), and a host of other countries.

It is well documented that the U.S. Census undercounts low-income populations and immigrants, particularly the undocumented. However, within this limitation, the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) produces a sampling that enables …

Insights Into Changes In Employment And Day Services Data From Idd Agencies During Covid-19, Agnes Zalewska, Jean Winsor

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) had a major impact on people with disabilities and the services they receive. This brief explores the impact of PHE on employment and day services of people with IDD. The focus of this product is the National Survey of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies’ Employment and Day Services (IDD survey) and its data collection in FY2020 and FY2021. We explore the feedback from state IDD agencies on the data shifts resulting from PHE and we summarize the themes observed.

Social Security Administration Data Trends: Key Findings On Work Incentive Programs (2000–2021), Daria Domin, John Butterworth, Jean Winsor, Ryan Wedeking

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

DataNote 84 summarizes Social Security Administration data from 2000-2021 on work incentives and their underutilization by Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. It also compares younger recipients’ likelihood of working and participating in work incentives to older SSI recipients. Lastly, it examines the employment rate trends of SSI recipients across four disability sub-groups: intellectual disorders, developmental disability, autism spectrum disorders, and mental health disorders.

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino, Jarling Ho

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

Addressing Barriers To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Massachusetts Community Mediation, Madhawa Palihapitiya, Jarling Ho, Shino Yokotsuka, Karina Zeferino

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

This report presents over three years of systematically engaging, documenting and analyzing the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) needs/gaps and assets of state funded community mediation centers in Massachusetts. The report was compiled by researchers and an in-house DEI expert at the statutory state office of dispute resolution, the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The office has been serving as a neutral forum and state-level resource for over 30 years.

The report is based on qualitative research that falls into the category of community based participatory research conducted through a series of community …

Datanote: The American Community Survey, Daria Domin, John Shepard, John Butterworth, Jean Winsor, Agnes Zalewska, Daria Domin, Alberto Migliore

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The American Community Survey (ACS) offers a broad population view of employment outcomes for working-age people with disabilities. This Data Note summarizes findings from an analysis of 2021 ACS data on employment rates, weeks worked, and poverty rates of people with and without disabilities across the US. These data are compared for people with no disability, people with any disability, and people with a cognitive disability, which indicate that people with disabilities continue to have less success in the labor market, and a greater likelihood of being underemployed, compared to individuals without a disability.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Brookline, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Brookline is a town of 63,191 residents, of whom 4,272, or 6.8%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population. In Brookline, the largest population is White (65.3%), followed by Asians (19.1%). Blacks account for 3.1% of the town’s residents.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Brookline experienced 7.6% population growth, slightly higher than the state's 7.4% growth. During this time, the White population of Brookline declined by 4.2% while the Latino population increased by more than 44.1% (higher than their statewide rate of 41.4%), the Asian …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Cambridge, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Cambridge is a city of 116,892 residents, of whom 10.0%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Cambridge, the largest resident population is White (60.9%). The Asian population is the second largest group in the city, making up 21.0%, followed by the Black population, which accounts for 11.2% of city residents.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Cambridge experienced 12.6% population growth, and all major ethnic-racial groups had increasing shares. Asians and Latinos grew by more than 30%, while the Black and White populations grew …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Chicopee, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Chicopee has a population of 55,560, of whom 13,027 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White, while Latinos are the second largest population, comprising 23.4% of the population. Latinos' share of the city’s population is almost twice as high as in the Massachusetts overall population, which is only 12.6% Latino. Black, Asian, and “other” populations make up 9.8% of the city’s population.

Chicopee underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020, even though its population increased by only 0.5%, much slower than the statewide increase of …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Fitchburg, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Fitchburg is a city of 41,946 residents, including 12,608 (30.1%) who identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Fitchburg, Whites make up the majority (54.6%) of the city, while Blacks and Asians account for 6.1% and 3.6% of the population, respectively.

Between 2010 and 2020, the Latino population grew by 44.5% and was only outpaced by Blacks (59.8%). With these two populations outpacing Fitchburg's 4.0% population growth during the decade, the White population experienced a 16.7% decrease. By comparison, the White population in Massachusetts declined by …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Haverhill, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Haverhill, Massachusetts, has 67,787 residents, of whom 15,998 identify as Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The city is majority non-Latino White (66.3%), with Latinos making up the second largest ethnic-racial group (23.6%). Latinos are a higher proportion of Haverhill’s population than of the statewide population, of which they account for 12.6%. Black, Asian, and “other” populations collectively make up only 10.1% of Haverhill’s population.

Between 2010 and 2020, Haverhill’s population increased by 11.2%, faster than the statewide increase of 7.4%. The Latino population’s 81.2% increase accounted for much of the city's growth. The statewide Latino …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Peabody, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Peabody is a town of 54,481 residents, of whom 5,414, or 9.9%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population. In Peabody, more than three-fourths of the residents (77.3%) are White with Latinos making up the second largest group. Blacks (3.3%) and Asians (2.4%) trail, while the “other” populations make up 7.0% of the population. This last figure includes the 1,662 foreign-born Brazilians who live in Peabody, as the Census classifies Brazilians in the “other” category.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Peabody experienced 6.3% population growth, …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Pittsfield, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Pittsfield has a population of 43,927, of whom 3,539 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White, while Latinos are the second largest population, comprising 8.1% of the population. Latinos are a lower proportion of Pittsfield’s population than the statewide population, which is 12.6% Latino. The Black population has a similar share (6.5%), while Asian and “other” populations make up 7.6% of the city’s population.

Pittsfield underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020, somewhat due to its population decline of 1.8%. Massachusetts experienced a population increase …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Quincy, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Quincy is a city of 101,636 residents, of whom 5,214, or 5.1%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. (Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population.) In Quincy, the largest resident population is Whites (54.2%), followed by Asians (30.7%) and Blacks (5.4%).

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Quincy experienced 10.1% population growth, slightly higher than the state’s 7.4% growth. Latinos, however, increased by a much higher percentage in Quincy (68.8%) than statewide (41.4%). The Asian population grew by 41.0%, and the Black population increased by 36.3%. Similar to many other cities and …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Southbridge, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Southbridge is a town of 17,673 residents, of whom 6,012, or 36.1%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In addition, there are slightly more than 10,000 White residents, making up 56.7% of Southbridge’s population, while Black, Asian, and other residents collectively account for only 7.2% of the town’s population.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, the Latino population increased by 44.0%, while the White population decreased by 12.3%. The smaller Black population increased by 43.2%, while the Asian population increased by 6.1%. The increase in …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Westfield, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Westfield has a population of 40,834, of whom 3,942 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White (82.1%), while Latinos 9.7% are the second largest population; Black, Asian, and “other” populations make up the remaining 8.2%. The Latino share of Westfield’s population is lower than the statewide Latino share, which is 12.6%.

Westfield underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020. The city’s population decreased by 0.6%, while the statewide population increased by 7.4%. The Latino population increase of 27.3% is lower than the statewide Latino population …

The Growing Latino Population Of Massachusetts: A Demographic And Economic Portrait, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

This report highlights the increasing number of Latinos and their growing diversity in Massachusetts. In the state, as well as nationally, Latinos’ share of the population continues to increase, while the non-Latino White population declines. The Latino population is young, with a higher rate of dependent children and a lower rate of dependent elders. Its workforce composition has not changed significantly: Latinos continue to be over-represented in blue-collar and service-sector jobs and under- represented in white-collar jobs. Across all occupational sectors (including white- collar jobs), Latino workers earn less on average than those of other ethnic-racial groups. Latinos also lag …

Living Below The Line: Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Economic Security Among Older Americans, 2022, Jan Mutchler, Yan-Jhu Su, Nidya Velasco Roldán

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

New estimates based on the 2022 Elder IndexTM show that the risk of economic insecurity in later life is especially high for people of color. Comparing household incomes to the Elder Index, we calculate the percentage of independent older adults with incomes that fall short of what is required to support economic security. National averages suggest that among older people living alone, 43% who are White, 59% of those who are Asian, 61% of those who are Black, and 67% of those who are Latino have annual incomes below the Elder Index. The risk of economic insecurity is lower among …