subject: Employment for Down Syndrome [print this page] Developmental disabilities may limit a person's physical or mental capacity, but many of them are capable of performing tasks on the job and can be a valuable asset to any company. Employment for adults with developmental disabilities is becoming increasingly popular as we have more resources to accommodate for their special needs. One of those developmental disabilities is Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal defect in which there is all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is a very unique disability with symptoms such as low muscle tone, small stature, and intellectual impairment. Employment for adults with developmental disabilities with regards to Down syndrome was not a possibility until relatively recently, as the life expectancy for an individual with Down syndrome was so short. As recently as 1929, individuals with Down syndrome were expected to live no longer than nine years old. With medical advancements, however, they can live long, productive lives and obtaining some form of employment greatly benefits them.
Individuals with Down syndrome strive to achieve many of the same goals as everybody else. They want to be able to provide for themselves and they want to have pride in what they are able to accomplish. As they have come to be able to live longer, they have become a large group used by companies who give employment for adults with developmental disabilities.
Clearly, not all positions at a workplace are positions a person with Down syndrome could fill. There are specific parts of the company, however, where multiple people with Down syndrome can work. They can handle responsibilities such as bagging groceries or retrieving grocery carts from the parking lot, for example, if the business they are working for is a supermarket. Oftentimes, for companies who invest a lot in offering employment for adults with developmental disabilities, there are transportation services that bring the disabled people to and from work.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it illegal for any employer with more than 15 employees to discriminate against qualified prospective employees. Companies that range in scale from medium to large will need to consider offering employment for adults with developmental disabilities. The ADA also helps define conditions for disabled people during the application and hiring process and it continues to do so after the disabled person has been hired.
When offering employment for adults with disabilities, the most important thing for a company to understand with regards to the ADA is that the disabled person must be considered if they are qualified for the job. Most Down syndrome people can handle blue-collar jobs and cannot be refused simply on the basis of their disability.
After putting in the many hours to complete school, Down syndrome individuals may have similar hopes of succeeding in the real world as their counterparts. Currently, various organizations are lobbying for those who want to work to be able to. As it stands, a majority of adults with Down syndrome never get a chance to prove themselves in the work place. They can make an important contribution to the workplace, however, and all it takes is a little bit of training and support.
