Supported Employment: Keeping Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Community

Supported Employment: Keeping Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Community

​What Does it Mean to be Part of a Community?

A community is formed by individuals who come together to connect with one and other based on shared ideas, values, interests and goals. Inherent in this definition is the fact that unique human beings, each one of them different, choose to create something together. All too often we seek connection and shared understanding in the banal, hoping that a spark with another individual will come as a result of the fact that we wear the same size clothing or commute in the same rush hour traffic. As a result, we end up feeling empty and disconnected.

How do we create communities? We do this by sharing feelings of empathy, by joining together to create art or to play a game, by celebrating cooperative achievements, or by investing time in getting to know another individual. We look to children to remind us how to be curious and how to play. We look to the elderly to teach us how to avoid mistakes and how to survive hardships. We look to those who are different than us so that we can learn ways to be better and deepen our understanding of humanity. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are vital components of any community wishing to stay in touch with what it means to be human.

​Supported Employment: Keeping Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Community

We are in an era that understands the benefits of promoting a community where everyone is welcome and everyone is accepted. “Diversity and inclusion in a world populated with differences is not just a common-sense decision; it is the foundation of our country and the essence of our development as a great nation.”

How exactly do we make this a reality in our communities? One way is through supported employment. At Sample Supports, we work with over 40 partner businesses in order to keep individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community.  By working WITH behavioral issues instead of avoiding them, we empower those individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing them meaningful community interactions. Why? Because community maturation and growth comes from conversations where several perspectives are shown, where opinions and stereotypes are questioned, and alternative ideas and viewpoints are presented.

Utilizing strategies such as supported employment to keep individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community encourages these individuals to develop personally, express themselves, and contribute to the community. It upholds the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” our Declaration of Independence guarantees all of us. Integration of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities into the community also positively affects other community members. It inspires a challenge and radiates positivity and cooperation which helps to advance the community as a whole. Diversity in all forms within a community expands the capacities of individuals who create and maintain relationships with those who are different from them.

“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” - Dorothy Height, an American administrator and educator

As the saying goes, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progressing; working together is success!” At Sample Supports, we continue to grow our supported employment program because we want to keep individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community! We want them to have a positive experience with people without disabilities that will build momentum for them to give them the courage to have their next positive experience. Join us in our mission to create the most vibrant, connected, passionate communities that make life meaningful and fulfilling for all human beings!