A new report by the Georgia Institute of Technology's Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) shows that a networked economy and new digital media technology have transformed the employment landscape for adults with disabilities, especially for those under the age of 30.

Released by the National Council on Disability (NCD), the report concludes that the transition to a new networked economy has the potential to provide more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Previous research into the employment challenges faced by people with disabilities has focused on the scarcity of job opportunities and the perceived competitive disadvantages that they face. The new report, “The Power of Digital Inclusion: Technology’s Impact on Employment and Opportunities for People with Disabilities,” focuses on the social capital and networking needed to match job opportunities with job seekers.

CACP Senior Research Scientist James White wrote the report and oversaw a research team that included Paul Baker, Robert Todd, Nathan Moon, Brad Fain, Jessica Pater and Carola Conces. CACP is housed in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College.

The report looked at the disruptive possibilities of a set of key digital technologies on employment: wireless communication platforms; social networks; immersive digital environments, including virtual worlds and tiered digital interactions such as electronic games; open publishing; and open source processes.

Marking the launch of the report, the NCD hosted a virtual job fair October 4 to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities, inviting government, non-government organizations and private-sector employers to send in current employment opportunities. The positions were distributed via Twitter, Facebook and the NCD listserv as examples of the technological opportunities described in the report.