2023 Annual Report - Employment

Aug 28, 2023

2023 Annual Report - Employment

Advocacy Victories Employment

Advocacy Victories Employment

 

Office of Employment First

This past year, The Office of Employment First was created which will support employment opportunities for Californians with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Disability Rights California worked to advance this proposal alongside the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), California APSE, Integrated Resources Institute, PathPoint, and Progressive Employment Concepts, Inc.

 
"People with IDD tell us that to find work and maintain the supports they need to keep working, they have to go back and forth among different departments, programs, and services, all with different requirements, making their experiences frustrating and highly disjointed,” said DRC Policy Analyst, Sabrina Epstein.
Portrait photo of Sabrina Epstein Sabrina Epstein, Policy Analyst

California adopted an Employment First policy in 2013 to ensure that people with IDD could find competitive, integrated work in their communities. Despite the passing of this policy, employment for people with IDD remains at just 17 percent. The Office of Employment First recommits to the Employment First vision by ensuring that initiatives are designed and coordinated to work across state departments.

Creating this office signals a new focus, not just on employment as a goal for people with disabilities, but on collective responsibility and stronger alignment across state agencies and departments as key to achieving that goal. 

In alignment with its mission, the Office of Employment First will identify and share best practices, develop partnerships with groups committed to integrated community employment opportunities, and provide technical assistance to support equity in employment. 

The Office will also:

  • Establish or enhance tools to evaluate the success of employment programs for people with IDD and monitor progress. 
  • Link data collection systems across government entities. 
  • Gather the state’s Employment First Committee. 
  • Propose necessary legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to achieve the state’s Employment First goals. 
  • Submit an annual report to the Legislature and the Governor detailing its work and recommendations beginning June 30, 2025.
 
“Increasing employment for people with IDD is essential for advancing their economic security, but it's not only about that,” said DRC Senior Policy Attorney, Vivian Haun. “For many, work gives purpose and structure to their lives. It creates networks, fosters social connections and friendships. Work gives people a sense of competence and a valued and visible role to play in their communities.”
Portrait photo of Vivian Haun Vivian Haun, DRC Senior Policy Attorney