Employment
Attitudes	Supervisors and co-workers may make negative judgments about values as an employee based the needs for supports on the job site, or by appearance
Accommodations	Supervisors are not always willing or able to make modifications or accommodations to job duties.
Availability	Jobs are simply hard to find.
Discrimination
Job Matching	It can be difficult to match a desired job with skills necessary to fulfill duties of the job.  Expectations for job may be hard to meet.
Flexibility	There may not be many options for movement within a business due to limited skills.
Dependence on Supports	Job coaches may have heavy caseloads that limit the amount of time spent with each individual.  Funding limitations may also make it difficult to find appropriate support staff.
Education	Individuals who graduate from high school with a Certificate of Completion will not meet the requirements of having a diploma.
	Housing/Independent Living
Finances	Options are severely limited for individuals living on SSI and SSDI.  Rental requirements can be stringent, and it may be difficult to match those requirements with appropriate income.
Safety	Those options that are available, are often in areas of the city that are not safe.
Attitudes	Members of the community can have pre-conceptions about people with disabilities that lead them to be "unwelcoming."
Supports	It can be difficult to find trustworthy support for the activities of daily living that ensure independence such as budgeting, meal planning, cleaning, transportation, employment,etc.
	Access to Healthcare
Physical Barriers	People that have physical limitations may have difficulties with exam methods and equipment that were not designed to meet their needs.
Discrimination	Medical providers may not be willing or able to modify their services to meet the physical and cognitive needs of people with disabilities.  This may stem from the lack of education about how to do so, or dismissive attitudes about the manner in which their clients have a right to be treated.
Cost	Individuals on fixed income may not be able to afford appropriate healthier services.  Professionals may be limited in their ability to modify their equipment and services based on cost.

 

*Self-advocates across the country have expressed a desire for people to use People First Language when referring to or addressing people with disabilities.  This is language that always puts the person before the disability, i.e.  "student with autism" rather than "autistic student" or "autistic."  Language should not focus on the limitations, such as "handi-capped" or "wheelchair bound,"  or on concepts like helplessness or pity.  In general, language should stress the commonalties between all people, rather than the differences.

The concerns expressed in this document are consistent with the views expressed by self advocates around the country.