This work was supported by a grant from Shalem Fund
Research participants were sampled in a stratified sample from 14 villages and towns, representing women and men from Arab society in Israel, relative to the geographical distribution of the Arab population in the northern, central and southern regions of Israel and relative to the size of the village or town in which they lived
There were 1,070 participants: 400 employers from the private sector, 400 employees working in private sector businesses and 270 parents from families with one or more children with intellectual development disabilities. The research was prompted by a lack of studies investigating the issue of employment for the mentally challenged in Israel in general and especially in the Arab population. The research aimed to provide a response to the lack of information on this issue and to investigate three issues relating to this subject
1. Investigation of attitudes of the Arab population in Israel (employers, employees and parents of mentally challenged individuals) with regard to the possibility of employment for these individuals in the private sector.
2. Examination of the influence of socio-demographic characteristics, the knowledge concerning intellectual development disabilities, the stigma and prejudices towards people with intellectual development disabilities and the contact with them on the attitudes of the Arab population in Israel (employers, employees and parents of individuals with intellectual development disabilities) towards the employment of these people.
3. Analysis of the difficulties and the blocks that hinder the employment of people with intellectual development disabilities
This study belongs to a layer of studies on the micro-level and environment and clarifies attitudes concerning the issue of the integration of individuals with intellectual development disabilities in society and in the workplace among families who have such a child, and employers and employees in the work force from Arab society in Israel
According to the research sample it appears that among Arabs in Israel the percentage of intellectually disabled at a mild or moderate level, who are not employed in institutional work and do not work in the private sector (as represented in the sample of families with intellectually disabled children) stands at 31% (37 out of 118 individuals with intellectual development disabilities), while 42% (49 out of 118) have an employment solution in the framework of treatment and rehabilitation centers that can be defined as “occupation without purposeful work”. On the surface it appears that as a rule, for most of the parents they have no perceptual block regarding the importance of work for their children’s lives. Yet, is this purely a declarative perception, a sort of “wishful thinking” expressing the parents’ recognition that integration of the child who is mentally challenged in a workplace is an indication of success that they would be happy to achieve (however in existing conditions for some of them it is clear that to achieve this would be beyond their powers)
In conclusion a micro-level analysis of the perceptions and attitudes of parents in families where there is an individual with intellectual development disabilities, concerning work possibilities for this population, indicates that this group is a weak link that should be reinforced as detailed in the recommendations section. A second conclusion indicates that the state has not succeeded in standing up to its commitments regarding people with intellectual development disabilities in Arab society. Out of all the employment solutions that the state has managed to organize, the proportion of placements which are less suitable and less desirable for people with intellectual development disabilities at a mild or moderate level is far too high. The fact that this failing is in line with the desires and preferences of parents is irrelevant, if the parents perception is not fitting for the good of their mentally challenged children (as noted at a mild or moderate level) actions should be taken to educate and improve parents’ attitudes and aspirations
The research findings also show that participants had low-medium positive perceptions of people with intellectual development disabilities. This is a trend to improvement in the previously negative image of the mentally challenged in Arab society that was reported in the previous decade. In comparison between the three researches groups (employers, employees and parents) it transpired that parents of mentally challenged children express attitudes that are least positive. This finding is consistent with previous research and naturally points up the need for a deeper investigation. Given the findings of this study, we recommend that a support group should be formed for the parents of children with intellectual development disabilities. A unique program should be constructed for this purpose, taking into account the social and cultural character of Arab society
We also suggest that thought should be given to ways in which to expand the range of solutions for genuine employment while reducing the perception of treatment centers as the default solution
Consideration should be given together with the welfare departments in local Arab governments to providing new solutions for this problem. Moreover it is recommended that a program should be constructed beyond the special education settings to prepare children for integration in the workplace. The model of “transitional employment” should be investigated to improve employability under less demanding conditions. Efforts should be invested to find suitable employers (employment agencies in Arab society characterized by motivation to invest in building readiness for work life) and within the family itself if it has a business, to allow temporary and part-time work in preparation for absorption in permanent work positions
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A short video describing the study
Editing : Shay Shlomi, 2017