The current employment environment remains challenging for individuals with disabilities, who continue to experience significantly lower employment rates compared to their peers without disabilities. In 2024, 22.7% of individuals with a disability were employed compared with 65.5% of those without a disability (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Barriers such as limited access to services, low expectations, inadequate support structures and confusion about how employment impacts public benefits persist. Addressing the barriers to accessing employment services during high school and beyond is necessary to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and related employment support play a critical role in addressing these disparities by preparing students with disabilities to enter the workforce. Pre-ETS helps youth explore career interests, build essential job skills and develop the confidence needed to pursue meaningful, competitive employment. Ensuring timely, individualized access to Pre-ETS is crucial for improving long-term outcomes and supporting the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workforce.

The barriers to competitive, integrated employment extend beyond individual ability and often stem from systemic challenges such as limited access to transportation, insufficient knowledge of available services, low expectations from families and professionals and confusion about public benefits. Structural obstacles within service systems, such as inconsistent guidance and inadequate training, further compound these difficulties. Addressing these barriers is essential not only for improving employment outcomes but also for ensuring individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities to contribute to and benefit from meaningful work in their communities.

The following recommendations address barriers to access to Pre-Employment Transition Services during high school and competitive, integrated employment after transitioning out of the school system.