Those Suffering From Intellectual Disabilities Struggle to Gain Employment

An estimated 2.5 million Americans today are living with intellectual disabilities. While some of these individuals receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits because of their condition, others strive to rejoin the workforce. But stigmas held by employers can make it hard for many to find work.

Mary Niland, the president and CEO of Witco, an organization dedicated to helping those with intellectual disabilities find gainful employment, believes many employers question the skills and abilities of applicants with intellectual disabilities. The perception a disabled worker will not be able to perform their job duties leaves many in this particular demographic without work.

An article from The Arbiter explains Boise State University has hired people with intellectual disabilities for certain positions to great success. Ivan Lybarger, the campus’ environment operations manager, says he gets fewer calls to the service desk today because his team is caught up on work, which is directly attributed to his team members with intellectual disabilities.

If you or someone you love have struggled to find employment due to your intellectual disability, the Social Security Disability lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin explain there are programs to help. Services such as Ticket To Work and organizations like Witco are available to get the education, training, and support needed to find gainful employment.