The past twenty years have seen an increasing emphasis on community-based services and equal access to employment for all individuals, including those with the most significant disabilities. The question is, to what extent have changes in philosophy translated into changes for state agencies and the people they serve? Since 1988, ICI has collected data on day and employment services for people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities through a national survey funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. This brief highlights new findings, including a continuing increase in both integrated employment and community-based nonwork services. Comprehensive figures for all fifty states and D.C., as well as further analysis of historical context, trends, and implications for policy and practice, are forthcoming in State Trends in Employment Services for People with Developmental Disabilities, Second Edition.
