The Importance of Competitive Integrated Employment

 

Roni Jo Frazier, MEd

Bloom Consulting 

 

Competitive integrated employment (jobs whose wages are competitive, and work settings are integrated)  is an essential expectation in a society that demonstrates that it values the contributions of every individual, including those with significant disabilities. People with significant disabilities face a significant misconception that they cannot, or do not desire to, work. The reality is that with the right support, people with significant disabilities can be productive members of the workforce,and competitive integrated employment is a gateway to their greater independence, social integration, and personal fulfillment.

With the guiding belief that given the appropriate supports, everyone is capable of work, we presume competence and can begin to provide genuine opportunities for people with disabilities. With job coaching, adaptive tools, or individualized accommodations, we can open doors to personal growth and worker contributions that benefit employers and communities alike. Policies that promote competitive integrated employment actively dismantle barriers that limit people with disabilities from the fully included and valued roles they deserve in society.