October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which celebrates people experiencing disabilities’ contributions to the workplace and our economy, and promotes inclusive employment policies and practices for all. It’s heartening that as part of this month-long event, we can celebrate a major accomplishment in Oregon: significant advances in providing competitive integrated employment to those experiencing disabilities.
In 2012, Disability Rights Oregon filed a class-action lawsuit advocating for the rights of Oregonians experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities to work in their communities alongside people without disabilities and earn equal pay.
Jake Cornett, executive director and CEO of Disability Rights Oregon explained, “Before this case, people with intellectual disabilities expected to sit in meaningless jobs, isolated from people without disabilities, and be paid pennies for work in sheltered workshops. This case changed the employment opportunities for thousands of people experiencing intellectual disabilities.”
In 2015, a settlement was reached requiring that by 2022, 1,115 Oregonians working in sheltered workshops would receive integrated employment at a competitive wage, 7,000 Oregonians would receive assistance in finding an integrated job, and at least 4,900 adolescents and young adults would receive state employment services.
On June 30, 2022, the final report issued by a court-appointed independent reviewer found the state in “substantial compliance” with the ruling. School districts’ efforts in improving transition programming were critical to this success.
When asked to make changes to improve transition programming, schools across Oregon rose to the occasion. Today, teachers begin conversations about employment with students and their families earlier, encouraging them to see employment as a viable option for students of all abilities. Teachers work to identify students’ preferences, interests and strengths and match them with compatible employment opportunities. Students do more informational interviews and job shadows, experiencing work in their areas of interest. School staff are improving work experience opportunities for students before they leave school in order to increase their chances of competitive integrated employment as they transition to adulthood, for example placing students in internships at the Lake Oswego Public Library and the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest WA.
These improvements have paved the pathway for youth in Oregon to reach their post-school employment goals. Clackamas County students who received supportive employment prior to exiting school services have secured integrated employment at companies including New Seasons Market, La Provence, Costco, Home Depot and Chuck E. Cheese.
Support from transition network facilitator and youth transition program staff was cited repeatedly as a positive factor in helping achieve increased access to competitive integrated employment across Oregon. Clackamas Education Service District’s Transition Network Facilitation program, part of the statewide Transition Technical Assistance Network (TTAN), helped school districts in Clackamas and Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties achieve these standards by providing professional development, training, and coaching and hosting student summits focused on developing employment and leadership skills.
“These past few years have provided a lot of challenges to school staff in creating authentic learning opportunities for students,” recognizes Kriss Rita, Clackamas ESD’s transition network facilitator. “I have been continually impressed by the work of the teachers I serve. They have gone above and beyond to improve the lives of their students as they transition to adulthood and employment.”
