Two op-eds found in last Wednesday’s edition of The Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin, illustrate some of the philosophical differences found within organizations sharing the same mission of providing employment opportunities and career training for people with disabilities.
Advocates for people with disabilities in The Badger State have been taking a long, hard look at how services are provided following the publication of “The Case for Inclusion 2012” by United Cerebral Palsy this past June. The report’s state-by-state rankings indicated Wisconsin had dropped from 20th to 27th overall in quality-of-life services and was spending $288,350 per person to house these individuals in large institutions.
One of the first steps proposed by a coalition of organizations was having Governor Scott Walker issue an executive order declaring Wisconsin an “Employment First” state. Employment First is a program of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), which describes itself as “the only national organization with an exclusive focus on integrated employment and career advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities.” APSE currently has chapters in 40 states (including Massachusetts) and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico and several foreign countries.
APSE Executive Director Laura A. Owens, authored of one of the op-eds, entitled “Integrated employment better for disabled people.” Owens says this approach replaces a system built on outdated perceptions of people with disabilities as being unable to participate in the general workforce. She writes that both anecdotal evidence and studies have shown programs that emphasize inclusion make life matter more for the individuals but also benefit the public:
People with disabilities who work in regular jobs not only become taxpayers themselves, but their reliance on costly government support programs decreases. Studies have shown that when individuals with the most significant disabilities become employed, it is much more cost effective over the long-term.
Thomas Cook doesn’t necessarily disagree in his op-ed so much as ask for an All-of-the-Above” approach to providing services. The executive director of Rehabilitation for Wisconsin in Action says the contract labor and other services provided by Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) are misrepresented by Integrated Employment advocates, and that by working together even more resources could be devoted to finding the best situation for each individual it serves:
… [T]he two sides could unite to advocate for increased funding so that all qualified individuals who want integrated employment could achieve their goals. It would also respect the priorities and preferences of those who believe center-based employment is a viable alternative to the day programs in which individuals with the most significant disabilities would otherwise be enrolled…
The two people who took the time to comment on the op-eds seem to be more in agreement with Cook. Both point out that performance-based compensation for people without disabilities exists in several industries, including the assembly jobs performed by contract service organizations. Share your thoughts in the comments sections below.
Image by ImNotQuiteJack (Jon Collier).