Nearly 70% of individuals with disabilities and 95% of people with severe cognitive disabilities such as autism will never hold down a job. The reason is that no matter what they do and how well they do it, employers rarely give them a chance.
Hiring people with disabilities confirms:
- People with disabilities perform their job just as well as other workers.
- May need some accommodations, but are high performing.
- Are absent less.
- Do not have a high turnover rate.
- Work more safely resulting in lower workman’s comp costs.
Imagine the sense of pride and autonomy that comes with holding a job. We all take for granted that working also allows us to go out in our communities and play, spend time with friends, go to special events and lead a full life. NOT if you have an intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD).
Washington State tells our loved ones if they need Supported Employment to work and need Community Access services to be out in their community for recreation, they MUST choose one OR the other. How unfair!!!
In 2017 Senate Bill 5201 would have required the Developmental Disability Administration (DDA) to give clients aged 21 and older the option to select employment services, community access services, or both at the outset, or at any point in the employment discovery process. Regrettably the bill was given an unreasonable and inflated price tag by the DDA and failed to move forward.
HB 1980 in another attempt so that people with I/DD can have a full life with both a job and opportunities to engage out in their community. HB 1980 is scheduled to run TODAY off the House floor. It means that the House will vote to send the bills over to the Senate. After that happens, we'll be halfway there!
What can you do right now to help?
- Please send a thank you note to Rep. Jamila Taylor (Jamila.taylor@leg.wa.gov) for prime sponsoring this important bill.
- Please send a thank you note to Rep. Michelle Caldier, Michelle.caldier@leg.wa.gov) for supporting the bill.
- Email your local Representatives to let them know how important the bill is to you. If you don't know who represents you, please find your district's representatives here.
We believe people with ASD/DD offer untapped potential to employers, they are loyal and hard working. They have lower absenteeism in comparison with their neurotypical peers. An example of evidence-based vocational training program for young adults with ASD is Deployed 2 Work, a federally funded, randomized study for military-connected or military dependent youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We hope Washington State continues to improve on thecurrent 20% employment rate and 10% of the DD population earning over federal poverty limits.