WI25-12: Service Delivery Needs of Working-Age People From Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups Who Have Long COVID and are Interacting With SSA Disability and State Vocational Rehabilitation Systems

As Long COVID (LC) symptoms such as cognitive (e.g., brain fog), physical (e.g., fatigue), or sensory (e.g., hearing or visual disturbances) limitations can impact the ability to obtain or maintain employment, some working-age adults with LC may eventually seek disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and supports from vocational rehabilitation (VR). Information is needed about how well SSA and the VR system are serving this newly disabled population, including persons from minority racial/ethnic populations who have limited English proficiency. Researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Texas – El Paso are collaborating on this mixed methods project, designed with community engagement at all levels, to combine multivariate analyses of data from the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) with qualitative research that analyzes data from focus groups conducted with people with LC who are from racial/ethnic minority groups (including persons with limited English proficiency) and with VR counselors to, in general, identify SSA and VR service needs for this population.