Washington, DC – The Arc is thrilled to announce it has received an additional $240,000 from the Walmart Foundation to encourage and support workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to enter the workforce. Current research indicates that only 15% of people with IDD are currently employed. However, with the right supports, many people with IDD can build a career alongside their peers without disabilities.

“With the Walmart Foundation’s generous support in 2016, The Arc@Work was able to significantly increase the number of individuals with IDD working in the community. Now, with this additional funding, The Arc and its chapters are excited to further narrow the workforce gap between people with IDD and their colleagues without disabilities,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc.

The Arc’s employment initiative, The Arc@Work, connects organizations with people and services that increase the diversity, productivity, and quality of their overall workforce. In 2016, the program partnered with 16 chapters of The Arc to connect employers with talented employees with IDD. With the Walmart Foundation’s support, these chapters were able to reach and even surpass many of their objectives. By June 2017, nearly 400 individuals with IDD had secured employment, while 15 states and over 1,700 employers were engaged in outreach. The year also produced many success stories, such as this one from The Arc of Monroe County in Rochester, New York.

When Danielle first began receiving employment services, she exhibited low self-confidence and struggled with social interactions ranging from phone calls to interviews. As she began to take part in her first career fair, job interviews, and informal meetings with potential employers, her confidence started to grow. Through practice and dedication to the process, she was able to overcome the stress and anxiety associated with interacting with potential employers.

Eventually Danielle received a call for an interview at a local senior facility that would result in a pivotal change in her life’s course. The day before she was scheduled to interview, Danielle and her employment specialist practiced answering hypothetical interview questions and how to talk about her qualifications. The following day, Danielle performed flawlessly. Danielle engaged the interviewer in a funny story and her demeanor and the content of her answers to the interview questions were on point.

The following week Danielle was offered a job, and she has been working at the senior facility now for 7 months. Danielle is excellent at her job and has an impressive work pace. She is organized and efficient and her coworkers love to be scheduled to work with her because of her amazing work ethic. In late June, Danielle’s astounding professional and personal growth was recognized at an awards ceremony sponsored by The Arc of Monroe County. When asked how the job has changed her life, Danielle simply replied, “It feels rewarding to be working!”

The Arc of Monroe County’s Tammy Reynolds couldn’t agree more: “The Arc@Work is a valued partner promoting workforce diversity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including Down syndrome, autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy and other diagnoses. The Arc has a network of over 650 chapters across the country promoting and protecting the human rights of people with IDD and actively supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes and without regard to diagnosis.