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win for everyone. Several participants revealed that all employees in the business
benefited from relationships with an individual who successfully performed in the
workplace. Additionally, the participants stated that all workers enjoyed increases in
self-esteem as the business changed and adapted to the needs of the individual with
IDD. One participant put it this way: “Hiring an individual that has a different set
of abilities is cost efficient to the company and statistics identify individuals with a
different set of abilities tend to stay on their job long term” (Participant 7, personal
communication, February 22, 2021). This participant went on to say that hiring an
individual with IDD “boosts morale in the company culture and it shows coworkers
how diverse we are” (Participant 7, personal communication, February 22, 2021).
In the second theme, quality of the employee, the participants often referred to the
positives concerning employing individuals with IDD who were strategically trained
for the workplace. They highlighted how these people raised the bar when it came to
displaying a can-do work ethic, seeking help if there were questions, and relying on
their skill set to perform continuously at the required level. Participant 2 stated,
I would normally just treat someone with IDD the same as someone without
IDD. Looking at their work experience and educational background, they
may meet all those standards over someone that doesn’t; and they identify that
they are effective enough to do the job and they are capable of doing the job,
then that is what matters the most. (Participant 2, personal communication,
February 19, 2021)
Theme three, uncertainty, reflected some participants’ continuing anxiety about
the outcome of hiring individuals with IDD. Although they indicated a high level of
confidence in such hires, they admitted that certain aspects continued to be troubling.
These included financial concerns about the cost of accommodations, fears about
how the rest of the employees would react and support the individual with IDD, and
a general worry about the unknowns that they could not control, such as negative
customer reactions and qualms about blame
reflecting on them if the hire did not work
A vast majority of the participants out successfully. One participant had
this to say about the uncertainty of hiring
(81%) indicated that these negative an individual with IDD: “I look at the
personalities of the team and the culture
stereotypes had no influence on of the team and whether that person, the

their hiring decisions. candidate, has a disability or not, I still
have to make sure that the person can fit
into that culture” (Participant 4, personal
communication, February 25, 2021).

Practical Implications
Given everything gleaned through this study of employers’ perceptions
concerning the hiring of individuals with IDD, what can schools do to increase
the likelihood that their graduates obtain employment? One successful strategy is
the utilization of school-business partnerships. From involvement in sports-team
sponsorships to school-supply drives, society has readily embraced this type of
collaboration. Promoting this approach appears to be a sound method for impacting
successful employment. By creating partnerships, schools and businesses can use
these employers’ perceptions to promote strategically a school-to-business pipeline.
Four methods that will help school leaders capitalize on school-business employment

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