What does it mean to work?

At The Sunshine Stop, we want to see more people with intellectual disabilities work in employment situations that not only provide them with a competitive wage, but also one that provides them with the same sense of pride and accomplishment that others without intellectual disabilities get from their employment. We hope to provide the foundational skills that can allow our employees to consider a wider range of future, customized employment opportunities in areas that truly interest and inspire them. Ask our Sunshine Squad members what other jobs they might like to do now that they’ve worked at The Sunshine Stop and you may hear some really great answers—a testament to our desire to help them find future customizable employment in our community!

“What do you do for a living?” is one of the most commonly asked questions when meeting a new person in a social setting and making introductions. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question posed to kids all the time. For kids, the answer to that question is limited only by their ambition and imagination. As kids get older and learn more about what really interests them and where their skills shine, work options become fine-tuned and focused education and training options are explored. For many in the disability community, this is a time when the working opportunities can be severely narrowed and interests may really truly never be explored. The employment statistics are staggering for our disability community:  the employment rate for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is significantly lower than for those without disabilities. In 2024, only about 19% of working-age adults with intellectual disabilities in the U.S. are employed, compared to 61.8% of the general population without disabilities. This population faces a high unemployment rate of around 17-21%, which is more than double that of other groups with disabilities. Additionally, 28% of adults with intellectual disabilities have never held a job, underscoring the challenges they face in entering the workforce, and why we are doing what we’re doing at The Sunshine Stop.