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

Abstract

Progress toward competitive and integrated employment (CIE) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) over the last 40 years has been mixed. Despite evidence showing that supported employment interventions can enable adults with I/DD to effectively get and keep jobs, national rates of integrated employment remain below a third of the working age population (Hiersteiner et al., 2016). Progress is being made to improve these outcomes. Pathways have been identified that lead to CIE through supported employment, customized employment, internship experiences, and postsecondary education (Siperstein, Heyman, & Stokes, 2014; Wehman, 2011). The recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) has created fresh momentum and increased the onus on interagency collaboration. This article examines what is known about promoting CIE through these pathways and highlights recommendations for future research and policy change. Recommendations for the future are provide direction toward positive change in CIE into the 21 st century.

Environmental Factors that Impact the Workplace Participation of Transition-Aged Young Adults with Brain-Based Disabilities: A Scoping Review

“…Focusing on this vulnerable transition-aged group is critical as it involves transitioning to adulthood roles and requires support to ensure successful experiences in their early stages of employment. Such support is important since open and competitive employment settings do not always have the knowledge and resources to make appropriate accommodations [9].…”

Refining the Supported Decision Making Inventory

“…As with the finding in relation to guardianship, this suggests the role of integrated, community‐based experiences in creating opportunities for decision‐making. Competitive integrated employment creates more natural opportunities for decision‐making than other, segregated and isolated day options (Wehman et al, ). The same is true for living independently in the community, particularly when the supports needed for community participation are provided (Hewitt & Nye‐Lengerman, ).…”

Transitioning Australian Disability Enterprises to open employment community hubs using the Australian legislative framework

“…There is an overwhelming need for providers to invest in their future through developing staff and setting in place the ideal conditions for the delivery, along with investing in connecting with and educating not just clients but the broader community (Wehman et al, 2018). This presents with it the opportunity to develop open employment pathways through the creation of social capital within the community and families of participants.…”

“…There are many benefits in developing this type of relationship, particularly when you consider one of the primary outcomes of any employment process should be heightened levels of self-determination and self-advocacy for the participants (Wehman, Taylor, Brooke, Avellone, Whittenburg, Ham, Brooke & Carr, 2018). With the client, an active partner, an informed participant they along with their employment support staff member go on the learning journey together.…”