Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

ANCOR Position Statement: Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

ANCOR believes that individuals with disabilities who want to work must be supported in doing so, to the extent necessary, as employment is a meaningful component of community life and individual self esteem. Individuals with disabilities must have full and equal access to resources to make informed choices about their employment. Private providers can successfully assist individuals through the provision of quality services and supports available in their communities to obtain and retain employment.

To achieve employment, ANCOR supports:

• Educating and empowering individuals with disabilities to choose where they want to work, based on their own strengths, preferences, interests, and abilities.
• Providing individualized services and supports to meet individual needs, which ensure earning fair and appropriate wages, benefits, and working conditions.
• Removing barriers that create disincentives for people with disabilities to find and maintain community employment.
• Funding that ensures individual choice and individualized services and supports.
• Establishing and maintaining an infrastructure to educate and support individuals with disabilities, providers, employers, families, and students as individuals transition from school to work.
• Creating awareness about the importance of employment of individuals with disabilities within our communities, at all levels of government, and within provider organizations.
• Increasing the awareness among the business community of the inclusion of people with disabilities as part of a diverse work force.
• Ensuring that accommodations, such as assistive technology, are available to support and enhance individuals with disabilities in their chosen work environment.

Adopted by Board of Directors August 1, 2008