Inclusion International's Open Project on inclusive employment

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Brendan Sutton, | Patricia Noonan Walsh,

Affiliations: Cheeverstown House, Dublin, Ireland | National University of Ireland, Dublin

Note: [] National University of Ireland, Centre for the study of Developmental Disabilities Arts Annexe G 06, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Tel.: +353 1 706 8702; Fax: +353 1 706 8568; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Reviewing this four-year open project, it is apparent that good practice in inclusive employment thrives in every part of the world. The growth of self-advocacy and extension of anti-discrimination legislation are two forces that will encourage more people to reject segregated work for inclusive opportunities. People with developmental disabilities are certain to encounter fiscal, professional, social and technological barriers for some time to come. What strategies are optimal in the face of such barriers to inclusion? What incentives may be introduced to encourage service providers to redirect their energies towards more inclusive options? These questions are challenging. Those who address them will be\ldots ``mindful of the fact that the majority of persons with a mental handicap in the world are not in contact with any training or employment programme and are invisible to society'' [2].

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 195-198, 1999