Background: Nordic welfare models are characterised by emphasising both social security and labour market participation. Nevertheless, most people with intellectual disability either receive a disability pension or work in sheltered workshops. While transitions into integrated employment have been studied, transitions from school to sheltered…

Background: Increasing the societal participation of people with intellectual disabilities via competitive employment requires a full understanding of what this means to them. This paper aims to provide an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment. Method: Interviews were…

Background: The Work Support Profile (WSP) is a brief assessment instrument that enables staff supporting adults with disabilities to provide calibrated and individualized support for specific work tasks. This paper sought to examine the psychometric properties of WSP for people with disabilities. Method: A pilot study was conducted with 239…

This report discusses findings from a descriptive and cost study of the Bridges from School to Work (Bridges) program. The program helps young adults with disabilities find and maintain competitive employment. It is part of the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project, which seeks to rigorously evaluate employment…

Background: People with an intellectual disability and/or autism experience low employment rates compared to the general population. This study shows what the determinants of success are in getting this group of young people into paid employment. Method: The research is based on data collected on 1008 young people, aged 16-25, participating in the…

A recent study of the destinations of graduates found that of all disabled graduates, autistic individuals are least likely to be employed (AGCAS, 2022). These outcomes for autistic people in the UK are widely recognised in literature (Remington and Pellicano, 2019, Vincent, 2020,) and highlight the way in which these individuals are marginalised.…

Supported work internship programmes for young adults with disability are an evidence-based model, leading to greater employment outcomes. This mixed methods pilot study evaluated the experiences of students, supervisors and a project coordinator, who participated in an Integrated Practical Placement (IPP) programme for students with disability in…

In the United States, employment experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been dominated by discrepancies between recent policy shifts promoting integrated employment for people with IDD and the stagnation of the employment rate in integrated settings for this population. Although there is no direct source…

Multifaceted interventions are interventions which target two or more individual or environmental characteristics in different domains. For example, many factors affect the outcome of integrated, competitive employment in the community for people with disabilities. Among those factors, there are points of intervention related to the individual…

This study reports on state-level data in Rhode Island on employment and non-work activities of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving services between 2011 and 2017. The goal was to examine the complex patterns of change over time in individual-level employment outcomes and the potential short-term impacts of a consent…

Background: Persons with intellectual disability remain largely excluded from the labour market in the Nordic countries. A review of the existing knowledge base may inform policymakers who try to address this challenge. Method: The study uses a scoping review of 23 articles to summarize three decades of research on employment for persons with…

This research identifies the soft (employability) skills that key stakeholders view as essential for young people with intellectual disability (ID) to gain and maintain open employment. The study subsequently examined the work experience opportunities for young people with ID to develop these soft skills during their school years. Qualitative data…

College-based transition programs offer students with intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) the opportunity to navigate adult learning experiences with similar-aged peers, accessing college coursework and employment experiences while continuing to receive support from or coordinated by their local school system. The present study used data…

Background: Obtaining employment for young people with learning disabilities remains challenging, and people may not be able to experience work that offers them the opportunity for broader and deeper social inclusion. Supported internships (SIs) offer a possible solution to this problem, providing a bespoke, structured study programme designed for…

This study looks at the career choices of early adult girls with intellectual disability. Trade of vocation refers to the types of vocational environment and location i.e., open employment, sheltered employment and home-based employment. The present study aims to investigate the preferred trade of vocation for early adulthood girls with…