I am publishing a series of blogs on employment related to people with disabilities. This is the first of 4 posts. The Code of Federal Regulations states that the purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 is to prepare students with disabilities for further education, employment, and independent living (CFR 300.1[a]). So what happens for students with disabilities once they either receive high school diplomas or complete their transition programs? Are they employed? Are they under-employed? What kind of incomes are they earning? We, and our children with disabilities or those students for whom we have advocated, have all worked too hard, exerted too much energy, and shed too many tears to have everything we’ve struggled for end when the school bus no longer picks up our children. We need to look at what we are preparing our loved ones for once they no longer receive special education services. With these thoughts in mind, we are exploring in different blogs what the employment outcomes are for persons with disabilities. Although some of the data is extremely discouraging, there are bright spots that we can all hope will translate to rewarding careers/work lives for our loved ones with special needs.
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