1. Often a person with a disability is the right person for the job.

2. More people with disabilities getting a job in the community and earning real wages. What is the Goal of the Employment First Initiative?

3. What is Employment First? Employment First means that having a job in the community should be what we expect and plan for people with developmental, intellectual, and other disabilities. It means that we focus on the person’s employment goal first when planning services and supports.

4. Employment First Message “All Idahoans with disabilities have the right and responsibility to work and contribute to their community.”

5. A Positive Vision for Idaho  All communities expect people with disabilities to work  Everyone can work and there is work for everyone  People have equal opportunity for meaningful work and career growth and earn a fair/equal wage

6. False Assumption #1 People with significant disabilities are not welcome in the workplace.

7. False Assumption #2 People with disabilities can only choose from a limited pallet of jobs.

8. False Assumption #3 The economy cannot support great jobs for everyone, so people with significant disabilities must take what is available. Cary Griffin, Dave Hammis - Griffin Hammis Assoc. Discoverying Personal Genius: Self Employment for Transition-Age Youth with information from Weymeyer, M. & Parent, W. (eds) Research to Practice in Self-Determination & Employment, University of Kansas 2011.

9. Our Assumptions… Do you have assumptions about some of your students? One of the biggest barriers is that people don’t believe they can work.

10. Your Important Role Help the student, their family, and others in their support circle believe that work in the community is possible. Encourage the student to consider employment and discover their skills and talents.

11. Tools and Resources  Vocational Rehabilitation  Supported Employment through Medicaid  Benefits Planning and SSI Work Incentives  from Disability Rights Idaho or other benefits planners  Department of Labor –  Career Information System (CIS), Job Club, job seeker trainings  Local Job Fairs

12. More Tools and Resources www.icdd.Idaho.gov www.abletowork.Idaho.gov Career Information System: www.idcis.intocareers.org

13. National Resources  APSE - Association of People Supporting Employment First: http://www.apse.org/ http://www.apse.org/  The Campaign for Disability Employment: http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org/ http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org/  Institute for Community Inclusion, Access to Integrated Employment Project: http://www.communityinclusion.org/project.php?project_id=54 http://www.communityinclusion.org/project.php?project_id=54  National Governor’s Association – A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities - http://ci.nga.org/cms/home/1213/indexhttp://ci.nga.org/cms/home/1213/index  Office on Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): http://www.dol.gov/odep/http://www.dol.gov/odep/  Partnerships in Employment: http://partnershipsinemployment.com/http://partnershipsinemployment.com/  Real People, Real Jobs: http://www.realworkstories.org/http://www.realworkstories.org/  State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) - http://www.selnmembers.org/homepage http://www.selnmembers.org/homepage