Sheltered workshops are vocational settings for individuals with more severe disabilities.  Either due to personal choice, social skills, vocational skills, or general worker behaviors, these individuals are placed in sheltered settings.  The goal for sheltered settings should be the development of vocational skills prerequisite for participation in supported employment.  Sheltered workshops are often managed by the same employment vendors who run supported employment programs so the movement is often not difficult.  

Difficulty does come at times, however, in moving the best sheltered employees out of the workshop.  There is a financial bottom line, and the workshop is dependent upon remuneration.  Imagine trying to run a business where your best employees are constantly being taken away from you.  You work to develop vocational skills, to improve production, to increase good worker behaviors and as soon as you see some success, the worker is taken from you.  Such is the plight of the good sheltered workshop.

Yet sheltered workshops continue to proliferate.  Although there are those whose philosophy causes them to see any type of center based program as evil in comparison to supported employment, their position is not supported by reality.  First of all, there are individuals with disability who have experienced supported employment who will choose sheltered workshops as their vocational option.  They find success in these settings.  They enjoy these settings.  They find the paternalistic attitude of those who argue supported employment exclusively offensive (although they may not be able to express it that way).  Secondly, there are those individuals for whom a sheltered setting is the best alternative.  Their work production and social skills would prohibit participation in community based employment.  Without sheltered settings, there would be no vocational option for these individuals.  Finally, there is the potential for sheltered employment workers to perform socially valuable work, and make a reasonable wage commensurate with their abilities.  Make no mistake, piece work is a very difficult way to make a wage.  However, most of the individuals in sheltered settings are not dependent upon their paycheck for their livelihood.  Additionally, the work skills they gain can lead them to less restrictive vocational settings.

You can email Dr. McNair at jmcnair@calbaptist.edu

Copyright Jeff McNair/jeffmcnair.com