Job Placements, Not Just Preparation. Emphasis is on creating opportunities to work and on placing individuals in those jobs, rather than on training to get the individual ready for a job sometime in the future. Contact and relationships with people without disabilities, and who are not paid caregivers, are important benefits of employment for people with disabilities. Social interactions with coworkers, supervisors, and others in the workplace are a natural way to integrate people with disabilities into the community. Variety and Flexibility.
Supported employment is more flexible than traditional sheltered employment options.
Flexibility comes from the wide range of jobs in the community, the different skills and abilities of individuals seeking employment, and the many ways of matching people to jobs and providing support to them. Natural supports complement the support provided by paid employment specialists, and help to integrate the individual into both the work environment and the larger community beyond. Often families and friends take a proactive approach to finding or developing jobs that meet the needs of both individuals and employers, as well as providing needed support once a job has been found. The active involvement of family, friends, and coworkers ensures that the individual's work life is not separate from the rest of his or her life. It offers a more holistic way of looking at quality of life for individuals with disabilities, and moves away from the isolation that often results from more traditional approaches to employment, including sheltered employment situations and job situations where the individual has contact almost exclusively with a paid job coach during the work day.