Unfortunately, many people with disabilities have limited work experience which places them at a disadvantage in the competitive hiring race.  Another reason is that due to their disabilities, future employees may have less obvious skills or might require some type of accommodation to succeed on the job.  But the primary reason, quite simply, is DISCRIMINATION.

The obstacles for landing a job for people with developmental disabilities is not with ability or skill as we all gain these through education and training, rather the obstacles are most often assumptions about ability and skill. 

Job developers ask individuals about employers that they may know or those that their family and friends know.  These employers are often more open to the idea of customized employment as they recognize potential, rather than search for obstacles.  Employers are also identified using the information provided by the individual about their experiences, interests and abilities.  It may take some time to understand what the individual likes about a particular career. 

For instance, a young woman (I’ll call her Jill) asked the job developer to find her “an office job”.  But as Jill and the job developer explored office careers, Jill was not very interested in some of the tasks associated with office work.  When Jill and the job developer explored further what interested her about office work, the number of possible work sites became almost limitless. 

Jill has a sister that works in an office setting and, according to Jill, her sister wears nice clothes to work and spends time in the morning putting on makeup and doing her hair.  Jill associated office work with the opportunity to ‘get dressed up’.  Well, you can now imagine how the number of possible employers greatly expanded.   As you probably guessed, Jill is working in a boutique with a primary customer base of young adults.

This example is rather basic compared to an important task of job developing, assisting employers to customize a job with an individual’s experiences, interests and abilities in mind.  I’ll leave you today to think about your workplace.  Look at the work your employees perform.  Be imaginative, be creative.  What customized job opportunities could your business provide?

The job developer’s first course of action is listening to the individual.  Basically, this involves getting to know the person.  Listening to the individual describe his or her experiences, interests and abilities, assists the job developer to work with the individual in determining potential employment goals. 

The job developer also listens to employers’ goals for their business.  Understanding the employer’s needs is paramount to matching the right employee for the right job.  Thus, the job developer is working for both the future employee and the future employer to ensure an effective employment relationship.

At one of the worksites, there are four people that access services through the Supported Work Program. This business has progressive thinking strategies in place to move their business forward. Also, owners are open to suggestions. Job carving has proven to be a valuable strategy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_MCVw12iTQ&mode=related&search

Negative perceptions related to work quality and employer cost generally come from employers with little to no direct experience with workers with developmental disabilities.  The research from the above two polls demonstrate that employees with developmental disabilities:

·             worked as hard or harder than other workers

·             were as reliable and/or punctual or more so

·             produced as well or better

·             were not harder or costlier to supervise

·             often encountered discrimination

·             demonstrated average or above-average leadership

Fortunately, in our community many business owners and managers are open to supportive work opportunities.  They realize that it is not skill and ability that limits employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, but attitudes and false perceptions. 

Another obstacle for people with developmental disabilities is the way work is structured.  Diversified workplaces typically have progressive-thinking managing personnel that are open to strategies that support diversity.  Yes, the phrase “Thinking Outside The Box” applies here.  Instead of relying on presupposed beliefs, try relying on imagination and creativity.  Provide opportunity for someone to work toward their dream. 

When our team’s job developer approached a couple of businesses, large corporate companies, she was met with resistance but of course this resistance was couched in corporate ‘lingo’. 

When questioned about the company’s diversity policy, one manager acknowledged this policy and then promptly explained the company’s hiring policy that described how an employee was ‘part of a team’.   The manager continued to explain that a “team member” would be someone that could, with continued training and education, perform tasks required of all the positions offered within the company.  In the manager’s opinion, the door was slammed shut.

Many possess false assumptions of what constitutes a team.  The principles that underlie effective teaming point to an extremely important aspect of teaming: There is no ONE right way to structure a team.  Then what characteristics have been touted as essential for teaming? 

Productive teams tend to focus on asking questions, rather than making statements.  The manager had many statements why a person with a developmental disability would not be hired, and asked no questions about how or why a diversified workplace makes good business sense.  Effective teams may have team leaders or collective leadership, the key is open-mindedness rather than single-mindedness.  Effective teams also have the ability to be flexible – each person has a role and the roles are interdependent.  But the roles do not have to be interchangeable. 

With effective teams, team members are allowed to bring their own unique ways of learning and meeting the requirements of the job.  There is rarely one right way of doing things.  The key is that the team is open to strategies that will allow individuals members to be successful.  Effective teams are responsive to change, open to innovation, accepting of difference and intolerant of obstacles.

Please take the time to read this article and reflect on the message contained within.