About Supported Employment
What is Supported Employment?
Supported Employment is real work in an integrated setting with ongoing support provided by an agency with expertise in finding employment for people with disabilities.
What is Real Work?
Real work is work that would be done by a typical member of the workforce if it were not done by the worker with a disability. Supported employment placements are work, not "vocational training," "work experience," or "work preparation."
Supported employees work for pay of at least minimum wage or the standard pay for that position.
What is an Integrated Work Setting?
An Integrated Work Setting is one in which the proportion of disabled workers is roughly equivalent to the proportion of people with disabilities in the general population.
Note: Large work crews or "enclaves," where disabled people work together on one site, are excluded from this definition.
What is Ongoing Support?
Job-support services that are, theoretically, not time limited.
The service providing ongoing support should be committed to providing support for as long as the worker with a disability requires it in order to perform his or her work satisfactorily.
What is Supported Entrepreneurship?
Supported Entrepreneurship is a form of supported employment wherein persons with disabilities access direct support and facilitation in order to foster the development of a business (for which they are the registered owner/s), or self employment.
Under this form of Supported Employment, persons with disabilities may choose to partner with each other, and may risk a period of earning less than an hourly minimum wage.
CASE Criteria to Define True Supported Entrepreneurship
True supported entrepreneurship occurs where
- there is an exchange of labour or goods for pay
- compensation is typical (e.g., "going rates") given the service or product
- individuals receiving supports determine how business/ employment income will be used
- individuals receiving supports are the registered business owners
- where businesses, or individuals are contracted, rather than their support agency
Who benefits from Supported Employment?
Two groups benefit directly from their experience with supported employment initiatives and programs: individuals with disabilities, and employers.
How do individuals with disabilities benefit from SE?
Individuals with disabilities gain confidence, skills, valuable workplace interaction, and the ability to support themselves to live independently.
How do employers benefit from SE?
Employers may hire and retain skilled and committed staff, gain access to an untapped workforce, and enhance their workplace culture by consciously choosing to diversify their hiring practices.
Reprinted with permission from AASE (www.aase.ca)