Earlier this month, a report was released from the GAO that detailed the possible waste resulting from government overlap and uncoordinated programs to help Americans with disabilities find jobs. The report found that in fiscal year 2010 there were 45 programs across 9 agencies that support employment for Americans with disabilities, with the most programs run by the Department of Labor (14), the Department of Defense (10), and the Department of Education (9).  These programs reported an obligation of approximately $4.1 billion for providing employment services and support to 1.5 million individuals.

While government agencies may use different programs to address specific needs of disabled Americans, according to the GAO auditors many of these programs have no system of being evaluated for their effectiveness and progress. Duplication within government programs—as we’ve seen before—is one of the consequences of a system that looks at increased spending as a measure of success. What the American taxpayer needs to see is innovation in the programs that already exist, not increased spending for programs that have few resources to track efficiency and progress.