Employment of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: 2017 Snapshot

Despite recent progress in employment legislation and local-level employment initiatives, finding and securing meaningful and community-based employment opportunities continues to be a major challenge for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – including people with autism, Down syndrome, and other diagnoses across the country. The Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey asked caregivers about some of the underlying causes for the large gaps that exist in employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The results indicate that there is a significant need to immediately address and improve practices that facilitate education and employment for people with IDD.