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Community Involvement
In order for individuals with IDD to become employed, the community must
be open and involved in making it happen. The Propinquity Effect (Segal, 1974)
proposes that the community can play a huge role in facilitating inclusivity. The
more the community interacts with individuals with IDD, the more favorable the
view of the individual. Through school-business partnerships, businesses can create
a network of companies engaged with individuals with IDD in the school setting
and ultimately employ them. Through word of mouth, social media campaigns,
open houses, media ads, and printed publications, these companies can utilize their
marketing strengths to add more individuals with IDD to the workforce. School-
business community partnerships can also positively influence companies that have
not yet hired individuals with IDD. By publicly promoting the inclusion of individuals
with IDD in the workplace, such partnerships mirror the goal of opportunity for all.
Once the new employee with IDD is hired and fulfilling his or her duties, the
news should be shared through the school-business network with neighboring
companies, highlighting the accomplishments of the person. This real-life snapshot
of the employee successfully at work will speak volumes about the potential for
success. Participant 1 described this phenomenon:
The response has been more on the positive than on the negative. It’s like a
Jekyll and Hyde built into our society where there is a stigma, but once the
businesspeople get in the middle of it and are exposed to it, then suddenly it
vanishes very quickly—or it never was an issue. We get pressed into societal
norms and every time you break out of this and do something different from
that, it’s scary and you live in the comfort zone. But if it’s you, living in the
comfort zone and everybody else is just watching you do it, then they might
not have such a big issue with it as long as they don’t have to do it themselves
because it might be too difficult with challenging the liability. (Participant 1,
personal communication, February 24, 2021)

Volunteer Programs
The Intergroup Contact Theory focuses on the importance of interaction as a
means of reducing negative stereotypes (Novak et al., 2011). Business leaders and
employees from the community involved in volunteer activities with individuals
with IDD get to know potential employees in a relaxed setting. Volunteering can take
place in organized groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Junior Leagues, various
company community committees, Special Olympics, and church groups. School-
business partnerships can also create volunteer opportunities for special events such
as a prom evening or a theater group. The goal is to create a space where both the
business partner and student are comfortable and the volunteer is able to see that the
individual with IDD is capable of performing in the setting. The key is for the school
and business to engage systematically in the partnership and build an environment
where leaders from both entities work together to solidify the experience for all
people involved.
Participant 7 viewed the societal impact for hiring individuals with IDD in a
positive light:
Numbers don’t lie. You show people the actual numbers. Our clients have
proven to be employees that close that revolving door, they stay on their
jobs very long, they don’t complain, they do their jobs, and they are very

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