Unemployment and Disabilities

People with disabilities are employed at much lower rates than those without disabilities, and people in each disability category are much less likely to be in the labor force than people without disabilities. Individuals with disabilities also fare poorly using the calculation of unemployment rate. People with mental disabilities who receive SSI have the lowest employment rate (percent employed) with only 9% of individuals in this group being employed and only 28% employed that do not receive SSI Disability. While the most striking differences are in overall employment participation, unemployment rates for people with disabilities who are in the labor force are two to three times the unemployment rate for people without disabilities. These figures may reflect a longer job search and the difficulty individuals with disabilities face in reentering the workforce after a job loss. (Government sources)

There is a growing belief that to affect the persistently high unemployment rate of individuals with developmental disabilities, a paradigm shift from professional- to customer-directed services must occur. Using this approach, individuals will (a) have the knowledge they need to make informed choices and to direct the employment process, (b) choose from the full array of job and career choices available to other individuals in their communities, (c) receive individual and ongoing advice and support, (d) begin the employment service process by defining their career goals and paths, (e) have individual budgets that reflect their unique career goals and paths, (f) determine the services and supports they will use their funding to purchase, and (g) contract directly with service providers. There are many unanswered questions about how a customer- directed employment service system can most effectively and efficiently be structured and how it affects customers, providers, and funding agencies.