Foreword
- Robert Evert Cimera, Ph.D., Kent State University, USA
- Tim Riesen, Ph.D., Utah State University, USA
- Holly Whittenburg, Ph.D., Washington State University, USA
- Øystein Spjelkavik, Research Professor, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Employment is the cornerstone of adult life. Being employed enables people to live in and access their communities. It promotes positive self-esteem and self-worth and reduces the risks of numerous mental health issues, including depression and anxiety disorders. It also helps people develop the social networks and relationships that make life worth living.
But the rewards of employment extend well beyond its impact on workers. Employers gain skilled employees in a more diverse labour pool. And taxpayers and society experience a reduced need to provide governmental subsidies to the unemployed. In short, everyone benefits when people are given the opportunity to work within their communities.
Unfortunately, despite their willingness and desire to work, three factors tend to prevent individuals with disabilities from doing so. The first is the lack of awareness by parents, policymakers, and service providers that people with disabilities can be valuable employees. The second is an over-reliance on sheltered systems that segregate people with disabilities from their non-disabled peers. And the third is the shortage of specialized vocational services emphasizing competitive integrated employment in the open labour market. This proposal addresses these issues by creating a national framework for Customized Employment (CE) for Norwegians with disabilities.
CE is rooted in the belief that anyone can function successfully in the open labour market given the right instruction and support. This is accomplished by engaging in a person-centered process to identify the job seeker’s unique needs and interests and then tailoring services to help the job seeker become successfully employed, continue developing work-related and social competencies, and become increasingly more independent. It combines adherence to standardized, evidence-based CE methodological principles with the flexibility, individual adaptations, and contextual sensitivity required for integrated employment in ordinary workplaces. It also builds on the extensive body of knowledge accumulated from similar programs that have operated effectively throughout Norway since the early 1990s.
What makes the proposed CE program different from these previous programs is its emphasis on individualized, long-term quality services for individuals with substantial support needs. Further, it emphasizes close partnerships with families, educators, and employers, as well as the development of research-based natural supports (e.g., assistance from coworkers), while also recognizing the workplace itself as an important environment for learning, inclusion, and long-term development.
An important part of making employment accessible to everyone is ensuring that it is seen as a real and attainable goal. In Norway, as in many other countries, children with disabilities are often guided toward pathways that do not include integrated employment in ordinary workplaces. This can shape the expectations of individuals, families, and professionals. It may also limit both access to, and the perceived relevance of, approaches such as CE.
The proposed CE program is a first step toward establishing a life-course perspective that connects the education system with the needs of employers by introducing a structured approach to employment and by emphasizing the open labour market as a real possibility for all Norwegians. It will empower families of young children with disabilities by increasing awareness of the importance of full community participation and the value of developing employment-related skills at the earliest possible ages.
This framework can serve as a resource for families, educators, and service providers in fostering expectations for workforce participation. In doing so, the proposed program will enable Norwegians with disabilities to gain access to the rewards of integrated employment in the open labour market on more equal terms with their non-disabled peers. It will also advance a more inclusive approach to employment that benefits individuals, employers, and society as a whole.