The value of competitive employment: In-depth accounts of people with intellectual disabilities

Background: Increasing the societal participation of people with intellectual disabilities via competitive employment requires a full understanding of what this means to them. This paper aims to provide an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment.

Method: Interviews were conducted with six participants with mild intellectual disability or borderline functioning and good verbal communication skills. Interviews were analysed according to the guidelines of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Member checks were conducted.

Results: Analysis yielded three main themes: (a) Building on my life experiences, (b) My place at work and (c) Being a valuable member of society, like everyone else.

Conclusions: Competitive employment could make a substantial contribution to the sense of belonging to society and quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. Nevertheless, they must cope with stigma-related obstacles and feelings of being dependent on others in the work environment.