CPCIDD Board Member and Self-Advocate Azucena Garcia-Ferro hosts Episode 3 of CPCIDD’s IDD Employment Podcast, funded by Ability Central. Self-advocates Tracy, Joe, and Scott describe their journeys into work—starting early jobs, long-term positions in day programs and restaurants, and moves into advocacy and entrepreneurship. They name persistent barriers such as low expectations, flat-rate pay, benefit concerns, and gaps in supports, and highlight what helps: peer networks, community encouragement, individualized supports, training, and opportunities to demonstrate skills.

This episode offers firsthand perspectives useful to policymakers, providers, employers, families, and self-advocates who want practical insight into improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Visit cpcidd.org to explore the rest of the IDD Employment Podcast Series.

Welcome back to the CPCIDD IDD Employment Podcast Series. In our first episode, we sat down with Carole Watilo, a supported employment provider to uncover real-world strategies for building inclusive workplaces. Now, in Episode 2, we’re tackling one of the biggest concerns for job seekers with IDD—the fear that earning a paycheck means losing vital benefits. Join us as a trusted policy expert and our host, a self-advocate with lived-experience separate fact from fiction, so you can pursue meaningful work with confidence.

With funding from Ability Central, we are able to further our. research and provide policy recommendations designed to reduce barries to employment and increase opportunities not only for people with IDD but employers as well. We look forward to sharing our findings, resources, and community conversations centered on strengthening inclusive employment practices. We are excited to share the first episode in a series of podcasts that highlight community conversations about employment for people with IDD.

In our debut episode, we sit down with Carole Watilo, Executive Director of Progressive Employment Concepts, to explore research-backed strategies that overcome workplace challenges and create meaningful opportunities for job seekers, families, and employers alike.