Panel

Engaging Individuals and Families in Conversations Around Employment

Family engagement is key to successful employment and life planning, with parents and siblings often leading their family members with disabilities on the path to employment through their own role modeling and encouragement. Despite what literature says about the true importance of family engagement, many parents lack the knowledge needed to meaningfully participate in employment planning. One critical gap is thinking about financial well-being for their family member with a disability.

Provider Transformation and Integrated Employment

The current emphasis on integrated employment for people with IDD is accelerating the organizational transformation from sheltered workshops to community-based supports, creating both opportunities and challenges for local service providers. These providers need guidance on how to transform to community-based supports while maintaining high standards. This presentation shared findings from the Institute for Community Inclusion’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD.