The summit did not renew my faith in employment for people with disabilities; my opinion was not changed by the end of the summit. Agencies (in the service system) are supposed to find jobs for people with disabilities, but if all people with disabilities had jobs, those in the service system would no longer have their jobs! So from the start it's flawed.

I had been out of that loop for over ten years and it made me furious to hear the same B.S. being spewed! There were a few good concepts sprinkled in here and there, but even my personal aide (who knows nothing of the service system) pointed out the twisted policies she heard. I shared my opinion sometimes, but I had to bite my tongue a lot!

Here's one example of a backwards policy: paying a co-worker to help a person with a disability on the job. Who wants a "friend" that's paid for? Does anyone pay a co-worker extra to assist a person without a disability?

Not enough self-advocates were at the summit. The majority in attendance were from the service system, patting themselves on the back, blowing hot air, and painting pictures of happy unicorns flying over rainbows. Who else was missing? Employers. And no talk of changing people's perception of disability, which is the linchpin to everything.

Why was there little attention paid to inclusion in the classroom and teaching awareness and rights (in school and at businesses), when these do significantly influence employment? It seemed backward to me: little or no focus on inclusion in school, and people expect integrated employment to just happen? Good luck with that!

Another nonsensical message from the summit: somebody said, "Go find a person with a disability who wants to work and then go back to your network and find them work." No! Your network is not my network. Every person needs his/her own network to draw from. If a person is being paid to refer people, where's the credibility? Inclusion in the classroom will build a social network. This is just one of many reasons why segregating kids with disabilities must end. In the real world, many people find their jobs through networking.

There was little talk about a college education for people with disabilities, but some people did talk about person-centered planning and about setting goals in middle school, which could open the pathway to college. If person-centered planning is done right, it can prevent "placing" people with disabilities in over-used and limited job categories that are so demeaning—the three Fs: filth, food, and flowers! When we're more creative, any person with a disability can do a job that's not one of the three Fs!

Whether in employment or education, the expectations need to be raised for people with disabilities. Tax dollars are paying for a twisted, broken service system! The employment summit meant well, but the people there are not thinking straight. I felt very out of place. Wait, am I the unrealistic person here or are they? I had that same feeling years ago when I was wrapped up in employment services. It is not a good feeling.

Ivy, Self-Advocate