The Great Debate: The Shift from Sheltered Workshops to Competitive Integrated Employment

~~“Perhaps now more than ever there is opportunity and pressure to ensure that all individuals with disabilities have equal access to Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) opportunities in their communities.  Understanding the history of sheltered workshops in America and the reasons people believe they are valuable and necessary is imperative to finding an effective approach that leads to competitive integrated employment for all people. This publication was created by the Iowa Department of Human Rights in collaboration with the Iowa Chapter of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) and the Iowa Coalition for Integration and Employment (ICIE). It is intended to provide a history of subminimum wage employment and an assessment of the arguments in favor of sheltered work for people with disabilities. It is an attempt to help individuals with disabilities understand the benefits of competitive integrated employment and the resources available to assist them in reaching their employment goals.”