Scholars from three Michigan State University colleges are leading a $2 million grant to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the four-year grant fuels research to assess and augment human abilities and redesign workflow to increase the workforce participation of people with physical and mental disabilities.

The project could improve working conditions and outputs for millions. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics, the employment rate for people with disabilities stands at a mere 21.3%, in contrast to 65.4% for people without disabilities.

“There is great excitement about the project and its potential outcomes,” said principal investigator Ranjan Mukherjee, a professor in the College of Engineering and Martin J. VanDerPloeg Endowed Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “To create sustainable and economically viable solutions in the disability employment environment, we need translational science at the intersection of multiple disciplines.”