First I'd like to say, I'm grateful to have gone. The ARC gave me a scholarship. It was good to hang out with friends I don't see often and awesome stay in an ocean front room. As a self advocate I was urged to attend even though I was reluctant to go. Turns out my icky feelings were justified.
The summit did not renew my faith in employment for people with disabilities. My same opinion was firmly held in place; All the agencies (the service system) finds jobs for people with disabilities. If all people with disabilities had jobs THEY wouldn't. So at the start it's flawed.
I had been out of that loop for over ten years and it makes me furious to see 'they' are still spewing the same bullshit! Though there were good concepts sprinkled in here and there. Even my personal aide who knows nothing of that field pointed out twisted policies she overheard. I'm grateful I was able to give a bit of my opinion but just know I had to bite my tongue a lot!
One example of a backwards policy they were talking about was the concept of paying a co-worker to help the person with a disability on the job.
Who wants a friend that's paid for?
Not enough self-advocates were at the summit. The people who were there were on the same side of 'the game' patting themselves on the back, blowing hot air, and painting pictures of happy unicorns flying over rainbows. Who was missing? EMPLOYERS.
Inclusion in the classroom and teaching awareness and rights (in school curriculum and at businesses) was mentioned a little but not enough, which DO effect employment so much I believe. No talk of changing people's perception of disability, which I think is the linch pin to everything. It also seemed backward to me, no talk of inclusion in school but then 'they' expect integrated employment to just happen? Good luck with that!
Another thing that bothered me was somebody said, "Go find a person with a disability who wants to work and then go back to your network and find them work."
NO! Your network is not my network. Swamping is not going to work. Every person alive needs their own social network to draw from. If you're being PAID to refer people it takes the creditability out of it. Right?
Inclusion in the classroom will build social network. Segregating kids with disabilities has to end for many reasons, but simply for the reason of employment. In the real world for anybody many jobs are found by social networking.
There was hardly no talk of college at the summit which made me mad but they talked about person centered planing and about setting goals early in middle school which will cover college for some students with disabilities. If person centered planning is done right it will bypass putting people with disabilities in convenient, over used job categories. These present categories are so limiting and demeaning. As some call these categories the three f's: filth, food and flowers. I realize some people with disabilities can only do these, but we all don't have to! Really if you're creative about it ANYBODY with a disability can do jobs way beyond the three f's. Rather in employment or education, the expectations need to be raised for people with disabilities.
Tax dollars are paying for this, a twisted broken service system! The employment summit meant well but the people there are not thinking straight. I felt very out of place. Wait, am I the crazy person here or are they? I had that same feeling years ago when I was wrapped up in employment services. It is NOT a good feeling.
UPDATE 10.18.11: Kathie Snow author of Disability is Natural featured this (stay out of job services) on her 'Your stories' webpage Here
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