The Underachievement of Supported Employment

A review of the status of the national supported employment initiative shows that thousands of individuals are benefiting from the initiative and that supported employment is offered by community programs in every state in the nation. Yet despite these successes, access to supported employment is severely limited, the quality of the outcomes is challenged, and the investment in change appears to be dwindling. If supported employment for persons with severe disabilities is to expand and improve to meet the growing demand, then communities and government alike must analyze both the successes and the problems of the supported employment initiative and create a new path to change. The purpose of this paper is to review the status of the supported employment initiative, explore the perception of its underachievement, and provide recommendations for recapturing the momentum of the initiative.