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Parallels In Time
A History of Developmental Disabilities

Part One:
The Ancient Era
to the 1950s
Part Two:
The 1950s
to Today
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Parallels In Time
Part Two
Real Work

Real Work

The Development of Real Jobs in Typical Work Settings

The 1950s: Day Programs to Prevent Institutionalization

The 1960s: The Growth of a Highly Segregated System. A Valuing Focus on Work, at Least for Some.

The 1970s: The Readiness Model. Demonstrating Another Way and a Third Stream

The 1980s: The Continuum Continues. The Rise of Supported Employment and Assistive Technology, and the Inclusion of People with Severe Disabilities in the World of Work

The 1990s: Presumed Employability, Natural Supports, Careers and Community Business

The 2000s: A New Definition of Success

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©2025 The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
Administration Building 50 Sherburne Avenue Room G10
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Phone: 651-296-4018 Toll-free number: 877-348-0505 MN Relay Service: 800-627-3529 OR 711
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The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center, the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MNSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

This website is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,152,808.00 funded by ACL/HHS and $222,000.00 funded by non-federal-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.