This October, we are observing National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). First recognized as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week in 1945, the observance has evolved over time into an entire month and has greatly expanded to include a wider range of people. NDEAM recognizes the right to work, an idea that has evolved alongside broader recognition of disabled people’s right to participate in society. At Shared Wellness, we encourage the greater independence, self-determination and community involvement that employment can bring to our individuals. Employment can provide much more than financial security. It can also offer opportunities to develop skills, build relationships, contribute to one's community, and exercise greater control over one's own life. However, these opportunities have not always been equally available to people with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Historically, people with intellectual disabilities and autism were excluded from employment opportunities. Many of these people were deemed to be incapable of employment and were consigned to institutions or the permanent care of their families, regardless of their level of ability or interest. This was part of a larger pattern of excluding disabled people from jobs. The independent living movement, as discussed in our profile on Ed Roberts, played a large part in changing this by arguing that equal access to employment was a civil right. The passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and later the Americans with Disabilities Act, set down some specific guidelines meant to prevent employment discrimination. While this was a definite step in the right direction, most of the focus was on physical disability, and people with ID and autism continued to slip through the cracks.
When employment was made available, it was often subpar. Throughout much of the twentieth century and continuing to today, sheltered workshops were the standard employment option for disabled Americans for decades. These workshops were specifically created to make sure that disabled people could be provided with employment, but despite the fact that many of them were developed with the best intentions, they have flaws. One of the most controversial aspects has been the use of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows qualifying employers to obtain certificates permitting them to pay certain workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. In some cases, these wages have amounted to only a few cents per hour. Many disability rights advocates have argued that this limits the independence and dignity of these employees, and that these programs often fail to provide the promised vocational training that could allow the employees to move on to better opportunities. They also claim that separating disabled employees from the rest of the workforce is a form of segregation that denies social and community engagement. Today, many states are either restructuring or entirely phasing out these workshops in favor of more person-centered models of employment.
The current push for supported employment has allowed for opportunities that disabled people would not have had in previous decades. Job coaching, vocational training, individual support, and workplace accommodations have created more equity in the workforce. Rather than assuming that a person with an intellectual or developmental disability is incapable of working in a traditional workplace, supported employment focuses on identifying their individual strengths, interests, and support needs. These supports might include assistance with learning job responsibilities, adapting a work environment, or communicating with employers and coworkers. The goal is not necessarily for a person to work without assistance, but to have the opportunity to pursue meaningful employment in an integrated setting. Integration into the workforce cannot end at simply placing an individual in a workplace; it must also involve access to meaningful opportunities, appropriate support, and a voice in one's own employment decisions.
The fight for equal employment for disabled Americans has not ended. The loophole in the Fair Labor Standards Act still allows many employers to pay their disabled employees substandard wages, and the debate over this practice is still very much alive. Disabled people also continue to struggle to obtain meaningful employment. According to the latest report from the Department of Labor, disabled people who are able to work and are actively seeking employment have significantly higher rates of unemployment, often double that of able-bodied or neurotypical job-seekers. Other reports mention that disabled people are often underemployed, being significantly more likely to work low-paying and/or part-time jobs.
Employment is only one of the many ways that people participate in their communities, but the opportunity to pursue meaningful work should not be limited by outdated assumptions about disability. At Shared Wellness, we believe that every individual deserves the freedom to explore their interests, pursue their goals, and make decisions about their own future. National Disability Employment Awareness Month reminds us that true inclusion means recognizing not only what people can contribute, but also their right to decide what a fulfilling life looks like for themselves.
FURTHER READING:
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) | U.S. Department of Labor
Employment | ACL Administration for Community Living
