John Butterworth

Over the past 15 years there have been substantial changes in the delivery and funding of day and employment services for individuals with disabilities. Most notably, the introduction of supported employment has led to a dramatic increase in the number of individuals with severe disabilities in integrated community employment. Despite these promising changes, the implementation of supported employment has not resulted in a transfer of resources and services from facilities to integrated employment.

  Watch the recorded webinar here.  In the fall of 2017, researchers from the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) will lead a series of online discussions on the "State of the Science" (SoS) in employment for people with IDD.

In July 2017, ThinkWork conducted a State of the Science session the The Summer Leadership Institute hosted by The Arc of the United States. Please check out our slides from this event.

Download the slides here. In conjunction with The Arc of the United States, this powerpoint offers ten essential elements necessary for successful organizational transformation, along with strategies for implementing each element. 

This brief provides an overview of how to best support adults with IDD in their communities and in their pursuit of integrated employment.


Click here to read the full brief

The national Partnerships in Employment (PIE) readiness preparation that impacts post- National Transition Systems Change Project was established in 2011 by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This five-year project focuses on improving, developing, and implementing policies and practices that raise community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The 2015 National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes provides national and state-level statistics spanning a 20-year period. Its sources include several data sets that address employment outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Download the full 2015 report here or click on the thumbnail image. 

This brief is based on the 2014–2015 National Survey of Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This brief presents findings on people with all disabilities and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who receive employment and non-work services from community rehabilitation providers (CRPs).

Improving employment outcomes has been identified as a priority by self-advocates, states agencies, the National Governor’s Association, and federal policy makers. The recognition of the pivotal role that work can play in the lives of people with IDD is driving many state developmental disabilities agencies to adopt “Employment First” policies that prioritize employment in integrated settings as the preferred day service alternative. The need for this policy shift is clear.