Work - Vocational Options

Meaningful work is often a key ingredient to a meaningful life.

In our generation in North America, much progress has been made to develop meaningful work for persons with all kinds of disabilities. Still, the structure of our capitalistic economies renders persons with disabilities most vulnerable in times of stress.

Adaptations often need to be made to make work successful for persons with disabilities. When the values of long-term relationships, company loyalty, adequate training, and steady work pace are valued, such persons are often successful. Where the emphasis is on short-term profits, maximum efficiency, and multi-tasking, persons with disabilities are among the most vulnerable.

This page attempts to provide links to a variety of tools to help make successful work possible for persons with disabilities. The focus tends to be on developmental disabilities, but many of the concepts apply to other disabilities as well as mental illness.

Topics include general information and resources, training and rehabilitation, and accommodations needed for successful integration into the workplace.

A listing of some good representative organizations is also presented.

General Information/Resources

Vocational Rehabilitation
A brief synopsis of U.S. federal legislation affecting persons with disabilities and their ability to work.

APSE: The Network on Employment
APSE stands for Association for Persons in Supported Employment. The website explains that "supported employment (SE) enables people with disabilities who have not been successfully employed to work and contribute to society. SE focuses on a person's abilities and provides the supports the individual needs to be successful on a long-term basis." APSE is a membership organization formed in 1988 for anyone interested in working "to improve and expand integrated employment opportunities, services, and outcomes for persons experiencing disabilities." The website includes a number of free position papers as well as information on conferences, state conventions, and legislative agenda.

Employment of People with Mental Retardation
Several short helpful papers on employment of persons with mental retardation.

Disabilities Resources: Employment
A page with links to some of the major resources for employment of persons with disabilities in the United States.

Training and Rehabilitation

Vocational Assessment: A Guide For Parents And Professionals
An informational paper from National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Job Training and Employment
A brief listing of vocational services offered by one of the leading national organizations that works with persons with disabilities.

The Council on Quality and Leadership in Supports for People with Disabilities
An international organization at the forefront of the movement to create opportunities for people with disabilities. They stress "personal outcomes" as the measure of quality in services and the basis of its accreditation, research, training and consulting services.

Accommodation Ideas & Tools

Accommodation Ideas for People with Mental Retardation or other Developmental Disabilities
from the Job Accommodation Network operated out of West Virginia University by the United States Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.

For more ideas on accommodations and adaptations, including adaptive equipment and technology, see the Companion Resources adaptations page.

Direct Services

Trinity Services Inc.
Trinity Services Inc., a nonprofit, non-sectarian organization, was founded in 1950 as the Trinity School in Joliet, Illinois, by a group of parents of children with developmental disabilities.

• Horticulture program
  Small groups learn about plants, flowers, vegetables, etc. Benefits include sensory stimulation, physical exercise, eye-hand coordination, fine and gross motor skill development, opportunities for socialization, and increased self-esteem from seeing the progression from seedling to maturity.
• Other sample businesses

Easter Seals
A leading national organization dealing with disabilities. This site has plenty of helpful information, particularly on national policy issues that affect persons with disabilities.