Dale DiLeo, an author, leader and advocate in the field of customized employment for people with disabilities in the United States visited the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion. Dale shared his experience and advice with us as on our ongoing quest of employment for people with intellectual disabilities. On the following audio link Dale introduces himself and tells us a bit about his work in the area of customized employment.
The biggest and most hopeful idea that he put forward when he spoke is that it is entirely possible for people to get real jobs for real pay. He says the trick is in how you do the job carving to ensure that the “job match” fits with the preferences of the focus person.
Dale told us an encouraging story about a person with a disability – a man that many people thought was difficult, if not impossible to employ. However, through persistence, thought and person-centered planning he is able to productively work on an ongoing and sustainable basis in a health club while at the same time satisfying the interests of the employer. Dale believes that most people can work and this story is one example. To listen to Dale’s Story click on the link below:
At the same time, 92% of people with intellectual disabilities are unemployed in British Columbia (CBI Consultants, Online Customized Employment Course). I don’t often think of the US as a leader in social policy and yet when it comes to employment for people with intellectual disabilities, the US is perhaps more than a step ahead of Canada, as evidenced by the significant increase of people employed in real jobs in the US. It sounds like familyWORKs has a lot of work to do! At least we won in hockey….
