Everyone Deserves College

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are defined by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as, “disorders that are usually present at birth and that negatively affect the trajectory of the individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development.”1 Individuals with IDD face difficulties such as social exclusion, physical limitations, and lack of opportunities because of their disorders and because the systems currently in place are unprepared to respond to individual needs. One of the largest disparities for those with IDD is accessing the workplace, as “85% of families reported that their adult family members with IDD were not employed.”2 Of those who are employed, there is current legislation that allows individuals with IDD to be paid subminimum wages if their work is not to the standard of an employee without a disability.3 With these indicators present, the obtainability of competitive employment for individuals with IDD appears to be near impossible.