KU Center for Research on Learning

KU Center for Research on Learning




DAS Vision and Mission


Vision: A world that values and respects people by fostering equal and continuing opportunities for all to fully participate in society.

Mission Statement: To foster opportunities for people with disabilities or disadvantages, DAS conducts rigorous research, evaluation, technical assistance, and dissemination that cultivate improved policies, systems, and practices for multiple stakeholders.

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Active DAS Projects


Soaring to New Heights

A demonstration project that provides a semester long elective high school course for students with disabilities designed to assist in their successful transition from high school to post-secondary education or employment.

Working Healthy: Kansas Medicaid Buy-In

Working Healthy allows people with disabilities to maintain Medicaid coverage when returning to or increasing employment. DAS staff members serve as external evaluators of the program. A new grant under the same initiative focuses efforts on increasing employment opportunities for Kansans with disabilities.

Kansas Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment (DMIE)

Independent, external evaluation of a project to test whether improved health care can prevent or forestall the loss of independence and employment due to a potentially disabling condition.

National Center on Response to Intervention

The Center addresses RTI technical assistance needs of state educational agencies and links states and regional resource centers with relevant professional development by providing information, resources, and opportunities through communication and networking.

Improving Adults Reading Outcomes with Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines

Develop literacy interventions that can improve adults' literacy skills by adapting instructional interventions (i.e., Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines) proven to be effective for struggling readers in school settings for use with adult struggling readers in a vocational training setting, (i.e., Job Corps).

Evaluating High-Risk Pools as a Health Insurance Option for People with Preexisting Conditions

Sponsored by a Commonwealth Fund grant, the staff looks to rapidly produce a brief describing the high-risk pool provisions of the health reform law, identify key implementation and cost issues, and develop recommendations for improvements.

CDC Module F Project: Disability Surveillance

Funded by the CDC Surveillance grant through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the goal of this project is to expand disability data surveillance in Kansas by enhancing utilization of existing but underutilized secondary disability data and expanding the use of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to more fully understand and meet the needs of persons with disabilities statewide.

The Nexus of Employment, Health and Disability

This project documents long-term outcomes associated with increased work earnings and efforts of participants in Working Healthy, examines health and quality of life changes related to work, and fosters innovative data management techniques necessary to identify health disparities.

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About Us


The Division of Adult Studies is part of the KU Center for Research on Learning (KU-CRL). We founded the Division in 1993 to address issues in the transition, education, employment, and quality of life of adults with disabilities. Our staff members provide research-based information to policy makers, service providers, individuals with disabilities, and family members that will ultimately empower people with disabilities to live more productively and independently.
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Our Materials


Our Materials are free, downloadable online resources based on our research of issues in education, employment, and quality of life for adolescents and adults with disabilities.
View Materials . . .

To see past DAS news go to das.kucrl.org/news.