Projections of Disability in the Department of Defense Workforce through 2031
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DoD) requires both current and projected estimates of the size of its workforce population with disabilities. These estimates support the strategic goals outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy to cultivate "a motivated, diverse, and highly skilled civilian workforce" (DoD, 2018, p. 8), as well as a range of executive orders directing DoD to hire employees with disabilities and provide them with reasonable accommodations. Furthermore, estimates by type of disability are necessary to determine the assistive technology (AT) required and its anticipated costs through 2031. Overall federal employee disability projections are also derived to provide information pertinent to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14035. Inasmuch as AT may aid in the recovery and retention of injured service members or may aid in the post service employment of service members medically separating, we also seek to estimate potential demand for AT from these groups. As such, this report develops projections of the DoD civilian employee population, and of injured and wounded service members, with specific disabilities already categorized by DoD's centralized AT procurer (hearing, vision, cognitive, and dexterity disabilities), as well as the potential anticipated requests for AT by these populations and their costs, between 2021 and 2031.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1225693
Entities
People
- Christina Panis
- Katie Feistel
- Mariah Brennan
- Michael S. Pollard
- Philip Armour
- Yael Katz
Organizations
- RAND Corporation