Supporting workers with intellectual disability in mainstream employment to transition to a socially inclusive retirement

The year 2016 will mark 30 years of employment services in Australia supporting people with intellectual disability to work in the mainstream workforce. It will be a celebration of the achievements of people who have had working lives in the community, performing varied and valued roles alongside their co-workers without disability. It is also time to consider the future for older workers with intellectual disability whose employment is supported by the government-funded Disability Employment Services (DES). As with many areas of their life, without appropriate support for planning and transitioning into retirement, many older workers with intellectual disability will have limited options for active social participation once they retire. This risk is heightened for those living with ageing caregivers who may experience their own barriers to community participation (Llewellyn, Balandin, Dew, & McConnell, 2004).