Finding a job is always a challenge. For people with developmental disabilities, it is often nearly impossible. Georgians with disabilities such as autism or cerebral palsy experience how society focuses on their limitations instead of strengths. The overall unemployment rate in the U.S. hovers at 7 percent; it’s closer to 80 percent for people with developmental disabilities.
Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities has authorized just $7.4 million for “supported employment” services. Supported employment matches individuals with developmental disabilities with employment opportunities in typical workplaces. The goal is to have these individuals working alongside people without disabilities.
A coalition of advocacy groups asked the General Assembly to support an appropriation of state funds to help 2014 high school graduates find and keep jobs. The House added $250,000 for this program, and the Senate increased that to appropriately $500,000. It is critical to keep that money in the budget during conference committee deliberations and as the budget is sent to Gov. Nathan Deal.
For 40 years, children with developmental disabilities have been mainstreamed in the classroom, but not in the workforce. Many employers allow misinformation and preconceptions to pose obstacles to hiring. They worry that employees will not be able to keep up with the pace of work, or that their customers will disapprove. Yet the opposite is true.
Georgia employers have experienced the benefits of hard-working workers who can outperform their non-disabled peers. Publix, Walgreens, Home Depot, the Georgia Aquarium, PF Chang’s, Kroger and Hamilton Health Care in Dalton can testify to the strengths of these workers. Lower turnover, lower absenteeism rates, strong job loyalty, increased employee moraleand enhanced corporate image are just a few of the benefits that accrue when employers hire people with disabilities.
Beyond that, the return to the workers and their families is incalculable. Without this program, these students would likely finish high school only to return home and sit on the couch, waiting until they qualify for a Medicaid waiver to pay for these services.
By giving unconventional employees an opportunity to prove themselves, Georgia employers have begun to demonstrate that this group of workers has untapped potential. By focusing on their abilities, not their disabilities, we can promote workplace success and improve the lives of many individuals.
As a community, we need to work together to make sure opportunities exist for all. We need this funding to provide necessary job development and job coaching so that people with developmental disabilities can experience what many of us take for granted: the satisfaction and economic security that only a job can provide.
