Barriers to Supported Employment for Persons With Developmental Disabilities

Nurses have long played a role in caring for persons with developmental disabilities (DD) and therefore require an understanding of the issues of quality of life for this population. Meaningful employment is important to life quality and a challenge for persons with DD. This retrospective study examined supported employment barriers for 112 adults with mild to moderate DD. Inattention, interpersonal, and behavior problems were frequent barriers (37.5%) to maintaining employment. Poor attendance, inadequate work quality, or interpersonal problems were responsible for 20.8% of involuntary employment terminations. An understanding of work-related issues for people with DDs may assist nurses to better address the psychosocial needs of this population.