My name is Sumukha Terakanambi, and I am a Policy Consultant with the Minnesota Council on Disability. For the last few years, my goal has been to gain full-time employment as a disability and healthcare policy advocate. In addition to giving me opportunities to pursue what I am interested in, I view employment as a path to achieving more independence, participating in the community, and building financial security. As a person with a disability, I have the desire and ability to work like anyone else. Unfortunately, I – and so many others with disabilities – still face negative stereotypes and systemic barriers when searching for employment.
This is the second in a series of seven blog posts exploring the major barriers to employment for people with disabilities across the state.
- An Overview
- A Lack of Information about Supports
- Stereotypes and Denying Accommodations
- A Lack of Accessible Transportation
- Support Programs that Discourage Work
- A Lack of Legal Supports
- Conclusions
Background
Minnesota offers a number of services and supports for people with disabilities and their families. Programs for housing, transportation, and employment can enable people with disabilities to live more independent and fulfilling lives.
Individuals and families must know which best fits their needs to take advantage of these services and supports. And that requires information – information they often don’t have. If you aren’t in the habit of visiting government websites, you might not know these disability supports exist. They aren’t as familiar as Minnesota’s Driver and Vehicle Services or the Secretary of State’s Election and Voting resources.
Even if you know these disability programs, navigating the eligibility, application, and reporting requirements can be overwhelming without the proper information. Unfortunately, the support professionals meant to guide people to more independent living may not have all the necessary information.
Personal Perspectives
Minnesota offers supports and services for people with disabilities that enable them to live, play, and work as they choose. More concretely, these programs have benefits that recipients often rely on, such as healthcare. People might not pursue certain goals without knowing how supports and services affect each other because they fear losing benefits (PDF). As a person with a disability, I have dealt with this myself. I was unaware of programs such as MA-EPD (Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities) that allow me to work and keep my health coverage regardless of my income or assets. I also did not know that any money in an ABLE savings account would not count against my benefits. Knowing there are ways to get the support I need while building financial independence has put my mind at ease about working.
Not everyone shares that sense of ease, however. Brittanie Hernandez Wilson, the Equity and Justice Director at Arc Minnesota, noted, “One of the biggest things we hear people with disabilities say is that ‘I can’t work, I will lose my benefits,’ and that is not true. I think there needs to be a lot of education around that.”
Case managers are meant to provide that kind of education. They help people with disabilities understand the services and supports available to them. However, burnout and high turnover among case managers can leave people with disabilities – and their families – without the information they need to make informed choices.
Even service providers often lack the knowledge to guide clients to appropriate outcomes, such as competitive employment. Dupree Edwards, a self-advocate, teaching artist, rapper, and community programs specialist at the Institute on Community Integration, shared how his day program pushed him towards subminimum wage employment. “I wanted to avoid sheltered workshops. I wanted to get a job right away. All the programs that I had did not really offer any jobs where they had related services. Or I would have to start in a sheltered workshop in order to get a job.” Dupree eventually found a day program which offered more options for competitive employment. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities find themselves in jobs that do not align with their interests and skills and do not offer competitive wages. They also do not have the support to find more suitable employment opportunities.
Possible Solutions
We can still do much to improve supports and services for Minnesotans with disabilities. In fact, the legislature made progress last year. In the 2023 legislative session, they passed a bill to give service providers more information about competitive employment. The bill would:
- Provide technical assistance for service providers to transition away from subminimum wage.
- Train case managers on available employment options.
- Ensure that the MnChoices assessment offers informed choices about employment supports.
- Provide grants to agencies to support competitive integrated employment options.
While this law is a major step in the right direction, advocates argue that the only way to ensure that people with disabilities have access to supports that help them attain competitive employment is to end the practice of subminimum wage.
Other solutions could include:
- Passing legislation to address the root causes of case manager burnout. Administrative tasks and larger caseloads prevent them from learning about disability services. Well-informed case managers serve their clients better.
- Investing in disability inclusion training for nonprofits and county or tribal governments. Employees trained in this type of inclusion can better assist people with disabilities as they navigate supports and services, including employment supports.
Conclusion
Information about supports and services must be available to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Lawmakers must continue working to address case manager turnover, end subminimum wage work, and provide options for people with disabilities to find competitive employment opportunities that work for them.