Choice and customized employment: A critical component

Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) often report that individuals with disabilities prefer to stay in facility-based programs rather than move into “real jobs” in community businesses. Preliminary findings from a national survey of CRPs found that 70% of the respondents felt that the individuals in their subminimum wage programs prefer/choose to stay in these programs [1]. Certainly, all CRPs want to support individuals with disabilities in their job choices. However, service providers must also empower individuals with disabilities to make informed choices and promote active participation in the decision making process. The important question to ask is whether the person with disabilities is making an informed choice to stay at the facility-based program. Has the individual had opportunities to participate in community experiences? If the person’s only work experience has been within the community rehabilitation program, then perhaps the decision is based on where he or she is comfortable. Is “fear” of the unknown preventing the person from taking a chance? Does the person associate attending the workshop with friends and fear of losing those friends keep the individual from leaving? Or, has the person tried a community job and had a bad experience? The point is to not “blame” the person for not being successful or not wanting to leave the facility-based program. Rather, the focus is on identifying the person’s support needs that can be provided to promote success in a community job. One strategy is to learn as much as possible about the individual in order to customize a job that reflects the person’s interests and abilities. This “Customized Employment Corner” addresses some of the commonly asked questions related to empowering individuals to move from segregated facility-based programs to integrated community employment. Question: The individuals in our 14 (c) program earn less than minimum wage based on their production and skills. They wouldn’t be able to meet the production standards of a job in the community. If the staff ask them if they want to work in the community, wouldn’t that be setting them up for failure? Answer: All people regardless of the type or severity of their disabilities have unique talents and gifts to offer their communities. When supports and services are customized, individuals can obtain personal goals and work in the community earning at least minimum wage. The key is to focus on the person’s abilities and interests rather than concentrating on his or her disabilities and what he/she cannot do. Customized employment involves getting to know the person and the unique skills and talents that he or she can bring to a community business. Once these skills, talents, and interests are identified, employers can be approached, and a customized job negotiated that is of benefit to both the job seeker and the business. Setting a production standard that matches the individual’s abilities is part of the negotiation process with an employer. For instance, John had an interest in working at an office, making money, and being able to dress in “business” clothes. A job was negotiated for him by tak-