People's situations and perspectives eight years after workshop conversion

Our purpose in this study is to describe the circumstances and views of 16 individuals 8 years after their participation in one agency's conversion from a sheltered workshop to an exclusively community employment service. Individual interviews were conducted to examine participants' present employment circumstances and their perspectives on the agency changes and on their current life situations. Participant reactions varied. Most individuals, although describing the conversion as initially anxiety-provoking, attributed to it many long-term benefits. Some reported disappointing and painful experiences manifested by prolonged service delays, a return to a segregated facility, or their rejection of any community employment. Findings were analyzed with regard to previous research and implications suggested for policy, systems, and practice changes.