Australians with intellectual disability share their experiences of retirement from mainstream employment

Abstract

Background As part of a larger study exploring the transition to retirement for people with intellectual disability from a working life in mainstream employment, this paper reports on retirement from the perspective of those who have already retired. Method Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with five Australian retirees with intellectual disability. Data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Employment service records provided background information on participants' employment and supports. Results Retirement occurred as the solution to ongoing problems primarily related to health. Retirement decisions were made in conjunction with family and support staff, with participants reporting varying levels of self‐determination in the process, and mixed feelings about their retirement. None of the participants were participating in mainstream community groups in retirement. Conclusions There is a need for retirement preparation for this emerging population to support self‐determination in retirement‐related decisions including individualized training to facilitate independent participation in mainstream social activities in retirement.

Transition to retirement: The lived experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities

“…Bill's view that "I've got the years in," and Robert's 70th birthday are examples. Australian retirement research has reported similar findings (Brotherton, 2022;Brotherton et al, 2020).…”

“…Our findings highlight the need for an increased focus on retirement planning that is person-centered supports individual choice (Brotherton, 2022;Brotherton et al, 2020). Some participants retired in their mid-forties, so this planning should begin early.…”

“…As noted, much retirement literature stems from Australia (Bigby et al, 2011; Brotherton et al, 2020; Stancliffe et al, 2015) where contextual factors such as the disability pension, retirement savings, and health insurance differ from the United States (Stancliffe et al, 2017). Our study, conducted in the United States, adds to the literature and demonstrates that many of the retirement experiences and needs for aging adults with intellectual disabilities are similar to Australian findings.…”

“…They could have their questions answered and think about their future as they moved towards retirement. Community‐based employment is associated with greater self‐determination (Wehmeyer & Bolding, 2001), including about retirement (Brotherton et al, 2020). Our study was the first to include participants from both facility‐based or community employment and so enable comparison of self‐determination about retirement, whereas previous Australian research has examined these decisions separately for retirement from facility‐based (McDermott & Edwards, 2012) or community employment (Brotherton et al, 2020).…”

Aging, Community-Based Employment, Mobility Impairment, and Retirement: National Core Indicators–Adult Consumer Survey Data

“…With impairment, work- or travel-related aspects of mobility (e.g., walking long distances, using stairs, catching buses) become more difficult or impossible. Brotherton, Stancliffe, Wilson, and O’Loughlin (2019) reported that a number of older Australians with ID and many years’ experience of community employment retired because their health and mobility made work tasks and/or travel to work via public transportation difficult or unsafe. For example, four of the five participants had stopped traveling to work by public transportation before they retired.…”