Factors of importance in the world of work for young people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

This paper presents a critical synthesis of a selection of national and international research concerning the working life of people with intellectual disabilities who have left special upper secondary school. The 30 studies selected were carried out between 1996 and 2006, and involved two different welfare state models. These studies have been scrutinized and associated with five themes that include factors of importance. The first result that the review indicates is that it is difficult for people with intellectual disabilities to get and keep a job, and the second is that to obtain and keep a job is part of a process in which they are able (and/or should be able) to participate, because the process leads to the normalization of a pattern of life. It seems that the pathway to a job goes via some form of special organized support, which is often found within what is called welfare services/care for the disabled. The review also shows that this topic is mainly studied from a genderneutral standpoint, and that individual factors are emphasized to a much higher degree than factors related to the environment, such as organizations and attitudes. © 2011 Nordic Network on Disability Research.