Debra Brucker
As a research associate professor, Dr. Debra Brucker studies the economic, health, and social well-being of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Her recent research has focused on: 1) testing the efficacy of a job crafting intervention on improving employment outcomes for workers with disabilities; 2) examining differences in quality of life among older adults who reside in urban v. rural areas; and 3) identifying barriers to and the implications of food security for persons with disabilities and older adults.
As a research assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, Dr. Debra Brucker uses national level survey data to measure the economic, health and social well-being of persons with disabilities. She has over 20 years of applied policy research experience and has held social and health policy research positions at academic institutions, research organizations, and state agencies. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, and Journal of Disability Policy Studies.
Projects
Career Self-Management through Job Crafting for People with Physical and Mild Cognitive Disabilities
Dr. Vidya Sundar, Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy, and Dr. Debra Brucker, Research Assistant Professor at the Institute on Disability, will partner with Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital Network, Marsh Brook Rehab and the UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety to develop and test a new approach to assisting persons with disabilities to retain employment and seek opportunities for growth in the workplace.
Disability & Food Insecurity
While most people in the U.S. have adequate access to food, some persons experience food insecurity, lacking the money and resources to acquire the food necessary for active, healthy living. Little is known about how food security might influence economic and health outcomes for persons with disabilities. Led by Dr. Debra Brucker, The Disability and Food Insecurity project focuses on the intersection of access to food and disability status.
Disability Statistics and Demographics Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (StatsRRTC)
The mission of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC) is to narrow and actively bridge the divide between the producers and end users of disability statistics, thereby supporting better data collection, more accurate information, better decision-making, more effective programs, and better lives for people with disabilities.
Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (EPM-RRTC)
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy and Measurement (EPM-RRTC) is (a) investigating the impact of federal and state policies and programs on employment, paying particular attention to the effects of program interactions, (b) examining new ways of measuring employment outcomes, and (c) facilitating the translation of research findings to guide policymaking and program administration.
Research Interests
- Public policy
- Economics of Disability
- Person With a Disability (Health/Safety/Medical)
- Aging and life course
- Food Assistance Programs
- Food Security
- Affordable Housing
- Public Access Programs for People With Disabilities
Selected Publications
Henly, M., McDonough, C. M., Porcino, J., Peterik, K., Rasch, E. K., Marfeo, E. E., . . . Brucker, D. L. (2023). Linking job duties, functioning, and employment status using the Work-Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB): An expert coding and quantitative analysis.. Work, 74(1), 75-87. doi:10.3233/WOR-211169
Brucker, D. L. (2022). Comparing effects of question set order and location within a survey instrument of two commonly used disability question sets among a U.S. population of adults.. Disabil Health J, 101424. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101424
Sundar, V., & Brucker, D. L. (2022). Work limitations as a moderator of the relationship between job crafting and work performance: results from an SEM analysis of cross-sectional survey data. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION. doi:10.1007/s10926-022-10055-6
Brucker, D. L., Lauer, E., & Boege, S. (2022). Americans Aging With Disabilities Are More Likely to Have Multiple Chronic Conditions. JOURNAL OF DISABILITY POLICY STUDIES. doi:10.1177/10442073221107079
Brucker, D. L., Stott, G., & Phillips, K. G. (2022). Food sufficiency and the utilization of free food resources for working-age Americans with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic (vol 14, 101153, 2021). DISABILITY AND HEALTH JOURNAL, 15(3). doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101298
Brucker, D. L., & Coleman-Jensen, A. (2017). Food Insecurity Across the Adult Life Span for Persons With Disabilities. JOURNAL OF DISABILITY POLICY STUDIES, 28(2), 109-118. doi:10.1177/1044207317710701
Sevak, P., Houtenville, A. J., Brucker, D. L., & O'Neill, J. (2015). Individual Characteristics and the Disability Employment Gap. JOURNAL OF DISABILITY POLICY STUDIES, 26(2), 80-88. doi:10.1177/1044207315585823
Brucker, D. L., & Houtenville, A. J. (2015). People With Disabilities in the United States. ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION, 96(5), 771-774. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2015.02.024
Brucker, D. L., Mitra, S., Chaitoo, N., & Mauro, J. (2015). More Likely to Be Poor Whatever the Measure: Working-Age Persons with Disabilities in the United States. SOCIAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY, 96(1), 273-296. doi:10.1111/ssqu.12098
Hagner, D., Kurtz, A., Cloutier, H., Arakelian, C., Brucker, D. L., & May, J. (2012). Outcomes of a Family-Centered Transition Process for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders. FOCUS ON AUTISM AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, 27(1), 42-50. doi:10.1177/1088357611430841
Most Cited Publications