Do Not Kill Off Sheltered Workshops
By Howard Levett
CPWD Independent Living Advisor
Howard Levett
Since I have some personal experience, I’d like to address the article Sheltered workshops offer little benefit, studies find by Michelle Diament in Disability Scoop. (http://www.disabilityscoop.com)
I find interesting, the article’s opening paragraph, “Sheltered workshops are significantly more costly, yet no more effective than supported, competitive employment at ensuring job prospects for individuals with disabilities, new research suggests.”
I would add that yes, this paragraph is probably true. But perhaps the best explained reason for the first paragraph is the last paragraph that says, “Other factors like the severity of an individual’s behavior challenges might also play a role.” If you thought that everyone with a disability was alike and therefore trainable, perhaps you need to rethink this. As with any other group in society, we don’t all function at the same level and never will.
Most consumers partaking of these types of services have an interest in feeling like they are contributing, learning new skills and making money. The hard truth is that not everyone is suited for competitive employment with the same level of success. So, the more skilled worker, after learning in this environment, moves on to the competitive job market.
Those less able and less skilled and those that present challenging behaviors not suitable for the competitive market are left behind in the sheltered workshop….to earn less money at a higher cost. This should not be surprising to anyone. It’s the nature of the beast that those that aren’t able to progress or that have challenging behaviors are going to cost more money. They do in most any situation.
Howard Levett
Those folks left behind in the sheltered workshop environment however are still able to feel that sense of accomplishment, the pride in earning money and learning new skills. Certainly something any of us would take pride in. Is this a bad thing? Of course not. The crime here is that work contracts are paid at below minimum wage when extra supervision and training are demanded. Not very smart when you know up front that non-disabled people working in a factory setting are going to be paid at least minimum wage with the need for less supervision.
My message is this; don’t kill off a program because perhaps it’s not paying for itself; don’t deprive those not able to work in the competitive job market with the opportunity to learn and feel the pride in putting in a day’s work and earning a paycheck.
Howard Levett
Center for People with Disabilities
10351 Grant St. Unit 1Thornton, Co 80229
(voice) 303-790-1390
(fax) 303-792-0317
Around Colorado, Howard, Independent Living, Levett, System Change
I wish to convey to Mr. Howard Levett’s boss that he deserves a raise; Howard should be making at least $0.70 per hour! Good work Mr. Levett, equality is much over-rated and I hope everyone will see by your example how cheap dignity really is.
Whether you like it or not, not everyone is suitable for competitive employment. Of course everyone should be given the opportunity to succeed or fail on their own merits, just don’t complain when it takes 15 minutes to get your coffee at McDonald’s in the morning on your way to work! I’m certainly not against everyone being given an equal opportunity. Some people due to behaviors in particular are not cut out to work in a competitive job market.
I’ll give you an example. Do you want a intellectually disabled sex offender doing janitorial work at your child’s day care?
One more thing Mr. Dart, dignity is earned by your actions, not by your disability. p.s. thanks for the raise!
I thank you for your thoughts Howard. I Trust that your were attempting to be thoughtful, but I find your article bigoted. (I trust, unintentionally in relation to its modern meaning.)
You responded to a well researched article which said Sheltered Workshops are not not benefiting the disability community, with only your opinion. But without some facts, that you may know but have not offered–it’s just holding hard to opinion.
Now, that opinions holds some bigotry toward people with disabilities and the value of their work. Repeatedly you point out that “not everyone is suitable for competitive employment” or “service” or “their money” as reasons.
And justification for the bigoted automatic assumption that people with disabilities do sub-par work these are not.
Not everyone is suitable for any one work task(s) or environment(s) competitive or not. And that proves? Let us innovate not segregate and enslave.
Value is more than a three minute cheeseburger meal. I can’t do construction and you can’t be a pro-ballerina. That is no reason to give us twenty cents a day to slice chicken necks, pick up bolts of sweep floors is it?
True somebody may need to do that work, but only sheltered workshop participants do so in a world where segregation is a legal employment practice at cents an hour near slavery, and federal employment laws don’t apply.
Find another market, expand your notion of value, and innovate. Everyone has something to contribute. Oh and dignity and respect ought to be human baselines, whereas raises are earned and critical thinking learned.
Respectfully,
Stonewall
Howard is responding to an article that makes a compelling case against the effectiveness of Sheltered Workshops and he admits in his Facebook comments that:
“I’m certainly not saying that sheltered workshops are great or the best solution, especially the way they are run right now.”
What I find completely missing from this discussion is the case FOR Sheltered Workshops. Even if you believe either every premise Howard states about people’s ability to do work or the belief that Sheltered Workshops lack dignity there is still no comparison.
Why have Sheltered Workshops? What would the disability community lose without them? and what is the ideal that would make a Sheltered Workshop worth the potential sacrifice of dignity?
-tw
“I thank you for your thoughts Howard. I Trust that your were attempting to be thoughtful, but I find your article bigoted. (I trust, unintentionally in relation to its modern meaning.)” -Stonewall
One of interesting things I find about blogging is anyone can say anything and be considered an expert. But the truth of the matter is more likely than not, it give folks a chance to throw stones at someone they don’t agree with.
In my humble opinion, the most vile word in the English language that you can call someone is bigoted…even if it is sugar-coated. Anyone who holds a different opinion is automatically labeled a bigot. I think people need to take a good hard look in the mirror before calling anyone anything. Not that I feel I have to prove myself to such narrow minded people, but I left a job that pays substantially more money to work for the past 12 years with people with a variety of disabilities…because I really feel rewarded by the experience. I would dare say that my very diverse friends and co-workers would tell you that I don’t have a bigoted bone in my body. I just have some real life experience that reaches well beyond what some study says. You see, I deal with people not studies, numbers, science or causes. So, let’s play nice.
I agree that sheltered workshops don’t benefit the disability community. There I said it in plain English. BUT, I do believe it benefits individuals in the disability community. You can stand on your head and whistle Dixie, but not everyone is suitable for integrated employment. Can people with many types of disabilities do many jobs in the community. Yes! Can everyone with a disability. No! Should people be allowed to try? Yes! Will they all succeed? No!
Stonewall, you’re pushing a cause to succeed…I’m pushing individuals to succeed, no matter where they work, no matter their disability, no matter the outcome. Think about who the bigot is.
There are a few basic definitions of bigot. I refreshed my understanding of each before using it. Wikipedia can help there and give history too if you’re into that.
I don’t believe either of us is a bigot, but each of us lives in a culture for which bigotry is alive and well. If we don’t question it’s power in ourselves and one another it is bound to show up. I feel this article was such a case.
Stonewall (as in gay riot not the general)
Howard I applaud you for your courage to question the political correctness of doing away with sheltered workshops. I supervise a program in which we did just that several years ago. And I agree with you that this type of service may not be the best kind of arrangement for persons with disabilities but there was also something very good about it as well. Since closing the workshop, we have spent countless and unsuccessfull hours trying to find jobs for individuals in a horrible economy. Some have obtained some form of work. However, most of these individuals are now no longer even interested in work of any kind and, believe me, we have gone to great lengths to find and/or create employment for most of these individuals. I, as well as family members, have come to believe that we have done a great disservice to many. I often ask myself the question “Who are we to say everyone with a disability wants to be ‘integrated’ into competitive-based employment?” I firmly believe that many times we are applying our own values upon this group of people and to me that is not dignified nor respectful. Regardless of the best support employment practices, the loss of any sort of paycheck and life-long work friends is not easy to replace. I totally understand the negative concept of workshops because they can be a place where individuals are taken advantage of. But I think closing them entirely is an over-reaction and efforts should be made in revamping their structures instead.