Home  -   About Us  -  Organizations  -  Relevant Links  -  Feedback < Back to Employer Resources > Jobs for the disabled Abridged from a report by Alex Frew McMillan of CNNfn 23 Mar 2000 In 2000, CNN reported that only three out of 10 people with developmental disabilities in America have jobs, meaning that the unemployment rate is 70 percent for the 1.2 million Americans of working age who have a developmental disability, compared with a U.S. national average of 4.1 percent. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities in general is at least 10 times the national average. The rate is higher for those with developmental disabilities, which typically involve some type of mental retardation and possibly physical problems, such as with cystic fibrosis. According to William Kiernan, director of the Institute for Community Inclusion in Boston: "About 30 to 35 years ago, we didn't think people with disabilities could do anything, and we treated them accordingly. About 20 to 25 years ago, we assumed they could do things but only special things, light assembly work like putting stickers on things. Then, around 15 years ago, so-called "Supported Employment" caught on. Developmentally disabled people received on-the-job training and support to help them with their jobs. But the preconceived notion was still that the jobs were limited to the Four Fs: "food," i.e. food preparation and service "filth" i.e. cleaning and janitorial service "flowers" i.e. simple landscaping or decoration, and "factories" i.e. light assembly work. That is starting to change. Some developmentally disabled people are landing clerical, back-office retail and front-office service jobs in industries such as finance and insurance, and even basic high-tech assembly jobs. Some jobs have genuine career and promotion prospects. Said Steve Eidelman, executive director of the ARC of the United State; "Companies realize they spend X dollars on recruiting and training any employee. What we've convinced them is, this person may cost you more to train. But the job won't turn over as fast. One of the core values of our society is work. Many people with developmental disabilities also know that and feel that way too." The non-profit Lifeworks Services Inc., based in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, places developmentally disabled people into clerical jobs. It has put 540 people into companies such as American Express Financial Advisors, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, electric utility Northern States Power, and Minnesota Life Insurance Co. The Lifeworks clients, who have IQs below 70, get coaching to help them in their jobs. The amount varies, but the idea is to gradually reduce the amount of supervision. Some people always need daily, even constant supervision. Others need a checkup once a month. Still, the average wage for Lifeworks clients is US$5.46 an hour. The range spans from under US$1 to US$12 an hour, depending on capabilities. Given that many do not work full-time, in 1999, 523 workers earned US$2.5 million, just under US$4,780 apiece. That is in keeping with national averages. According to Kiernan, 82 percent of people with mental retardation earned less than US$5.50 per hour and worked an average of 25 hours a week in 1997. Employer can benefit, too. Lifeworks spokeswoman Mary Hassing says the company benefits from lower turnover. Sometimes the developmentally disabled people do a particular job better, Hassing observed, as happened at Blue Cross. A microfiche machine that needed staples removed from papers fed into it kept malfunctioning because employees forgot. But the developmentally disabled employee who started supervising the machine was more diligent and cut out almost all the stoppages. Other employees deliver faxes or fix copy machines. Of the 14 people Lifeworks placed at Minnesota Life, the company has subsequently taken 13 on as full-time employees. Here are some pointers suggested by disability workers to help people with developmental disabilities and their families look for jobs: Ask what the disabled person might like doing. The fatal flaw in many work programmes was not to consider the person who will be working, Kiernan said. Exposure helps. It is hard to tell what job you want if you have never held one. Programmes that spend a day or two at a workplace introduce a disabled person to the working world. Schools and state and local agencies often have programmes that help developmentally disabled people identify careers and develop career-development plans. It is who you know, not what you know. "I always encourage families to network," Eidelman said. "You should be asking, 'Who do you know that has a business that might be hiring?'" Make sure the job is real work. Companies sometimes offer charity positions without much purpose. Worse, they may abuse an employee. "It's got to be real work that the company needs to be done, and the person needs to be valued," Hassing said. The more integrated disabled employees are into a department and with non-disabled people, the better their pay, according to data from Kiernan. Ongoing training, coaching and support are essential. Some programmes will also pair people with different disabilities to work together, or even live together. Even very independent disabled people need a monthly checkup. "If they have an emotional or medical crisis, they need help. That's the kind of time that people lose their jobs," Hassing said. Jobs can be created or shared. That is where a local programme can work with an employer. "Most jobs have a portion the developmentally disabled person can't do," Hassing said. "We try to match a person to the right job." Or three people to share a job. Consider whether the work culture and available support matches with a particular person and meets the needs given their disability, Kiernan said. Back to top