What is Employment First?
Meaningful Employment. Fair Wages. Career Advancement.
Understanding Employment First
Employment First is a nationwide movement that promotes meaningful employment, fair wages, and real career growth for people with disabilities. It’s built on the belief that competitive integrated employment should be the first and preferred option for everyone.
So how did Employment First take shape? Its roots come from decades of advocacy, evolving policies, and a push to ensure people with disabilities have the same opportunities to work and advance in their careers.
One of the biggest conversations surrounding the movement is the shift from sheltered workshops to competitive integrated employment. This debate explores what true inclusion looks like, how change impacts individuals and providers, and why so many states are accelerating efforts to support competitive integrated employment for all.
The Great Debate
Employment First promotes meaningful work, fair wages, and real career paths for people with disabilities. This approach challenges older models, such as sheltered workshops, and encourages states and providers to move toward competitive integrated employment as the expectation for everyone. The Great Debate explores how this shift came to be, why it matters, and the key questions communities continue to navigate.
Beyond the Debate
Continuing the discussion from The Great Debate, Beyond the Debate explores ways to overcome employment service access challenges and strives to facilitate engagement in Supported Employment.
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