A county-level initiative in Adams County prioritizes built-in employment for people with disabilities. This strategy emphasizes offering aggressive, community-based jobs as the primary and most well-liked possibility for eligible people, somewhat than sheltered workshops or different segregated settings. For instance, an individual with developmental disabilities could be supported in gaining employment at an area grocery retailer, interacting with the general public and incomes a aggressive wage.
Prioritizing aggressive, built-in employment affords quite a few advantages. It fosters larger independence and self-sufficiency for people with disabilities, permitting them to earn a residing wage, contribute to their communities, and expertise the social and emotional rewards of labor. This mannequin additionally advantages employers by broadening the expertise pool and selling a extra various and inclusive workforce. Traditionally, people with disabilities have confronted important boundaries to employment, and this initiative represents a shift in the direction of a extra equitable and inclusive system.