ADANN Research
ADANN Research
The ADA National Network conducts research collaboratively across the network and within individual ADA Centers.
Overview of the 2021 to 2026 Research Cycle
The ADA National Network uses research to better understand how the ADA works in practice. The centers planned 24 research projects for the 2021 to 2026 cycle, covering topics such as facility access, barrier removal, nondiscrimination, and program access.
Projects use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Many include people with disabilities, family members, ADA coordinators, or service providers. The findings are shared through journal articles, websites, social media, technical assistance, and training activities.
State of the Science Conference on the ADA
Every five years, the ADA National Network hosts a free virtual State of the Science Conference on the ADA. The next conference will be held on February 26 and March 12, 2026, with lightning sessions focused on Employment, Community Living and Participation, Health and Function, and Community Needs and Access.
- View the 2026 virtual State of the Science Conference on the ADA.
- Browse videos, slides, and other materials from the 2021 State of the Science Conference on the ADA.
- Browse webcasts, slides, and other materials from the 2016 State of the Science Conference on the ADA.
ADA Knowledge Translation Center Research
The ADA Knowledge Translation Center studies ways to make ADA-related research findings easier to use. Its work helps the ADA National Network improve how research evidence is shared with the people and organizations who need it most.
National Network Collaborative Research
The ADA Participation Action Research Consortium examines the factors that shape community participation for people with disabilities.
Regional ADA Centers Research
Each regional ADA Center conducts research on topics related to the ADA. The lists below show the research projects from the 2011 to 2016 and 2016 to 2021 cycles.
2011-2016 research cycle
- Region 1: From Paternalism to Self-Advocacy: President Obama’s Community College Strategy and Students with Disabilities
- Region 1: The Impact of the Great Recession on the Unemployment of Americans with Disabilities
- Region 3: A Comparison of Perceptions of Factors in the Job Accommodation Process Among Employees with Disabilities, Employers and Service Providers.
- Region 3: Best Practices in Developing Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace: Findings Based on the Research Literature.
- Region 3: Development of the Reasonable Accommodation Factor Survey: Results and Implications.
- Region 3: Employers Use of Workplace Reasonable Accommodations for Retaining Employees with Disabilities.
- Region 3: Negotiating Workplace Accommodations: Perceptions of Employees with Disabilities, Employers and Rehabilitation Service Providers.
- Region 4: Investigating the Accessibility and Usability of Job Application Web Sites for Blind Users
- Region 4: Public Accommodations: State by State Enforcement and Remedies
- Region 6: Life After Cancer – Medical Practitioners’ Survey of Cancer Survivor Employment
- Region 6: Life After Cancer – Surveying Cancer Survivors About Their Informational Needs
- Region 7: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act on Implementation in the Workplace and Community in the United States
- Region 8: Improving Employment Practices for People with Disabilities: A Community of Practice
- Region 8: Rocky Mountain Regional ADA Impact Assessment: Assessment of Stakeholder Needs for ADA Compliance
- Region 10: Understanding Employers’ Hiring Intention in Relation to Qualified Workers with Disabilities
2016-2021 research cycle
- Region 1: A Two-Part Study to Improving ADA Compliance in Cities and Towns
- Region 2: Small Businesses and Title I of the ADA Implementation
- Region 3: Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: An Exploration of Barriers and How Individuals Gain Information on the ADA
- Region 3: Local Government Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act: An Exploration of Activities and Factors Affecting Statutory Compliance
- Region 4: Financial Inclusion
- Region 5: A Systematic Examination of ADA Transition Plans and Their Role in the Development of Accessible Cities
- Region 5: ADA Success Stories
- Region 5: The Punch-In Network and Online Social/professional Networking Amongst Youth with Disabilities
- Region 5: The Quality Indicators of Assistive Technology in Postsecondary Institutions (QIAT-PS) Research Project
- Region 6: Access for Users of Service Animals
- Region 6: Pilot Study of a Tool to Screen Individuals with Cancer for Vocational Rehabilitation
- Region 6: Promoting Worksite Wellness and Health Among Persons with Disability (project Workwell): Role of ADAAA to Counteract Obesity in the U.S.
- Region 6: Survey of CILs on Their Knowledge and Capacity to Provide Training and TA on the ADA
- Region 7: ADA in Local Government Survey
- Region 7: Evaluation of the National ADA Symposium
- Region 8: Human Resource Professionals—Community of Practice
- Region 8: Implicit Bias Study
- Region 8: Law Enforcement Study
- Region 8: Rapid Response Research Questions
- Region 9: Barriers to ADA Implementation in Emergency Management
- Region 9: Evaluate Data on Physical Accessibility of Primary Care and Certain Other Providers in California Including Availability of Exam Tables and Weight Scales
- Region 9: Understanding the Role of Functional Limitation Measures in Electronic Health Records
- Region 10: Health Care Access and the ADA