Family Perspectives on Integrated Employment for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Families are essential partners in efforts to elevate the employment outcomes of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We examined the employment-related expectations, preferences, and concerns of 673 parents and other family members of adults with IDD. Participants prioritized paid integrated employment over sheltered options, and such perspectives were strongly associated with the recent employment status of their family member with IDD. In addition, they valued qualitative dimensions of a potential workplace (e.g., personal satisfaction, social interaction opportunities) more highly than prevailing employment metrics (e.g., rate of pay, hours per week, benefits). Multiple factors informed the views of parents and other family members regarding integrated employment and the extent to which their family member with IDD had been employed previously in the community. We offer recommendations for research, practice, and systems change efforts aimed at raising expectations for and access to integrated employment for adults with IDD.

Family Perspectives on the Appeals of and Alternatives to Sheltered Employment for Individuals with Severe Disabilities

“…These family members spoke to its importance in a variety of ways, including having access to a safe environment, remaining safe from physical injury, and being free from abuse or harassment. This particular priority has been raised elsewhere as a prominent consideration when it comes to decisions about employment settings (Dague, 2012;Gilson et al, 2018). Such findings highlight the importance of addressing safety in conversations about the move from sheltered to integrated employment.…”

“…The alignment of policies and perspectives is an important consideration within systems change efforts focused on expanding integrated employment (Flippo & Butterworth, 2018). Understanding how key stakeholders view the changes being pursued by state-level teams can provide a valuable source of information and guidance as states make progressive movements in this area (Carter et al, 2017;Gilson et al, 2018). We sought to understand what maintained the attraction of parents and other family members in our state to segregated employment options and inquired about the factors that would lead them to consider integrated employment options as an appealing and viable alternative.…”

“…In contrast to the majority of families and staff who did not express a preference for employment outside of the workshop, almost two thirds (63%) of people with disabilities said they preferred community employment. In their statewide study of 673 parents and other caregivers in a southeastern state, Gilson, Carter, Bumble, and McMillan (2018) asked participants to rate the importance of their daughter or son having each of four different employment options (i.e., part-or full-time employment in the community or in a sheltered workshop) in the near future. Although integrated options were more highly preferred than segregated options, two fifths of participants considered a part-or full-time job in a sheltered workshop to be somewhat or very important for their daughter or son.…”

“…A variety of factors may shape the employment pathways families prioritize and ultimately pursue. For example, prior studies have highlighted concerns related to safety, the risk of social isolation, the adequacy of available supports, their family member's ability to work, and the attitudes of employers (e.g., Francis et al, 2014;Gilson et al, 2018;Migliore et al, 2007). In the present study, we were interested in learning what parents and other family members found most appealing about segregated work settings-both for themselves and for their daughters, sons, or other relatives with severe disabilities who participated in these programs-and the factors that would lead them to consider community employment as a viable alternative.…”

Toward Competitive Employment for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: What Progress Have We Made and Where Do We Need to Go

“…Yet people with I/DD can be successfully employed in competitive, integrated positions and substantially increase earnings in comparison to segregated work or day support programs (Butterworth, Christensen, & Flippo, 2017;Migliore, Timmons, Butterworth, & Lugas, 2012;. Moreover, evidence indicates that a majority of individuals with disabilities and their families prefer competitive integrated employment (CIE) to segregated employment or day services (Gilson, Carter, Bumble, & McMillan, 2018;Siperstein et al, 2014). For youth, adults, and their families, there is reason for optimism and hope with the recent passage of the Workforce Innovations and Opportunities Act of 2014 (WIOA) and commitment of the Department of Justice to close segregated workshops (Carter et al, 2017;Christensen, Richardson, & Hetherington, 2017;Tucker, Feng, Gruman, & Crossen, 2017).…”