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The Power of School-Business Partnerships

            in Improving Employment for Individuals


                 with Intellectual and Developmental

                                              Disabilities


                           By Jessiica Howell, Robin H. Lock, and Janna Brendle



          School-business partnerships have long been accepted as vehicles for involving the
          community in the school setting. Utilizing this approach to increase employment options
          for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is a powerful strategy
          for successful outcomes. In this qualitative phenomenological study, the authors studied
          employers with a history of hiring individuals with IDD to determine their perceptions of
          strategies that enhanced employment opportunities. Employers who expressed consistent
          willingness to hire individuals with IDD completed a scenario-based survey to identify their
          perceptions of hire-ability. Next, a subset of employers completed a checklist that identified
          their thoughts about desirable qualities in potential employees. Finally, a virtual interview
          encouraged the participants to voice strategies that supported their desire to employ
          individuals. The results indicated that the employers wanted to hire individuals with IDD, and
          they were able to provide specific examples of ways to increase the feasibility of such hires.
          The discussion highlights several methods for utilizing a school-business partnership model to
          promote a strategic pathway for increasing employment.


                               ntellectual  and  developmental  disabilities  (IDD)  encompass  a  wide  range  of
                             Iconditions, including autism, behavior disorders, brain injuries, Down syndrome,
                             intellectual  impairments,  and  cerebral  palsy. As  defined  by  the Americans  with
                             Disabilities Act (U.S. Department of Justice, 2020), IDD refers to a person who has
                             a “developmental or intellectual functional limitation that substantially limits one or
                             more life activities, who has a history of impairment, or who is perceived by others
                             as having such impairment.” Educators intensely focus on preparing students with
                             IDD not only from an academic standpoint but also in terms of long-range adult
                             outcomes. Individual education plans include academic goals and objectives as well
                             as transition goals to ensure that each student is well-prepared as he or she leaves
                             the school setting.
                                Unfortunately,  being  equipped  with  solid  employment skills  may  not  always
                             be  enough.  Individuals  with  IDD  often  face  obstacles  in  the  hiring  process  that
                             others do not experience. Are there other steps that educators can take to increase
                             employment  opportunities  for  these  graduates?  Can  schools  positively  influence
                             potential employers to increase employment opportunities for students with IDD?
                             The researchers in this study sought to determine what employers revealed about
                             their hiring practices and their experiences in employing individuals with IDD. They
                             also obtained specific suggestions concerning what these employers believed would
                             influence others to increase their hiring of individuals with IDD.

                                                         Employment Matters
                                Issues surrounding employment profoundly affect the lives of people with IDD.
                             As  individuals  with  IDD  transition  into  employment,  the  move  can  be  difficult


        14                                           The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators
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