National call for organizational change from sheltered to integrated employment.

The authors interviewed leaders at 10 U.S. agencies. All had shut down sheltered workshops and moved clients into regular jobs.

They asked how the change happened, what helped, and what hurt.

All agencies served adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Every agency said the same thing: we could not do it alone.

State and federal leaders had to set clear rules, give money for job coaches, and keep cheering us on.

When that support was steady, clients landed real paychecks in real businesses.

Emerson et al. (2023) looked at whole states, not single agencies. They found the same recipe: IDD, VR, and education teams must share data, dollars, and goals.

Cheng et al. (2024) saw the pattern in China. There, small NGOs run the programs because national policy is still missing. The need for top-down leadership looks universal.

Navas et al. (2025) tested a parallel move—closing institutions and opening community homes. Quality of life jumped only when staff gave people real choices. The lesson matches this paper: new settings work only if supports follow.

You may not run an agency, but you sit at the table where supports are shaped. Ask your state council or regional center for written policies that fund job coaching, transportation, and follow-along. Share these stories to show that integrated employment is not a dream—it is a decision leaders can make today.