The Council supports a policy of “Employment First” in which employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred outcome in the provision of publicly funded services for all working age citizens with disabilities, regardless of level of disability. The Council advocates for
- Policies that incentivize services for individualized integrated, competitive employment and dis-incentivize segregated, sheltered day habilitation services,
- Sheltered workshops to transition people into individualized, competitive, paid employment and discontinue admissions into segregated day programs,
- Improvements in the employment provider system with evidence-based practice, collaborative cross-agency infrastructure and training and technical assistance, and
- The Louisiana Rehabilitation Services’ (Vocational Rehabilitation [VR] program) federal draw down will increase and eventually include the entire federal VR grant award.