For many people, work can be a drag, but for others, work means so much more. For adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD), work provides
social connections
a sense of a purpose and self-worth
an opportunity to be independent
Once individuals with IDD turn 22, they can no longer legally attend high school, which oftentimes leaves adults with IDD spending most of their time at home, isolated from society. It's easy to see how this could lead to loneliness and a low sense of self-worth. However, employment gives these individuals a social circle, purposeful work to do, and a paycheck. With these paychecks, individuals with IDD can pay for their own expenses and no longer have to depend on caregivers for their every material need.
Many people don't realize that adults with IDD are capable of holding a job and performing valuable and purposeful work. Of course every individual is different and has different strengths, but common work opportunities for adults with IDD include
agricultural work (raking, weeding, planting, harvesting crops, caring for animals, etc.)
clerical work (sorting mail, answering phones, entering data, packaging products, etc.)
art/design
cleaning
greeting customers
food preparation
and more!
The sky really is the limit. There are so many different types of jobs that cater to all kinds of different abilities and talents.
However, we as a society still have a long way to go. A 2013 study commissioned by Special Olympics found that the unemployment rate for adults with IDD is 21%, while it is only 8% for adults without IDD. This means that 21% of working age American adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities are actively searching for work and are unable to find jobs.
What's more is that many adults with IDD are being paid less than minimum wage for their work, and it is perfectly legal. A loophole in the Fair Labor Standards Act that has been in place since 1938 allows companies to pay subminimum wage to "individuals whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by a physical or mental disability." This law was put in place to make sure adults with disabilities don't miss out on employment opportunities, but it has instead allowed adults with IDD to be exploited by their employers. Some companies pay their employees with IDD less than $1 per day. In an extreme case, a company in Illinois paid nearly 250 workers with disabilities in gift cards instead of wages, which was later deemed unlawful.
So what can you do to help?
encourage your employer to employ individuals with IDD
support businesses that employ adults with IDD
vote for political candidates that support the disability rights movement
educate others
Next time you wake up at 6am, dreading getting out of bed to go work, take a moment to appreciate all that your job offers you, and remember to do all that you can to provide everyone with the gift of employment.