The new initiative aims to make competitive integrated employment the expected outcome for Arizonans with disabilities, challenging subminimum wage practices.
The University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities has launched the Arizona Office of Employment First, a new initiative dedicated to ensuring people with disabilities can participate in their communities through competitive integrated employment. The office, announced this week, aims to shift expectations so that disabled Arizonans have the right to work without segregation or earning less than minimum wage.
Mỹ Lê Sandaine, systems change liaison for the Sonoran Center, emphasized that employment first is part of the Civil Rights Movement and a human right. “The expectation is that people with disabilities have the right to work without segregation or earning less than minimum wage,” she said.
The University of Arizona is one of 68 federally designated centers across the United States that assist disabled individuals and their families while collaborating with state and local government agencies. The new Arizona office will work with the Vocational Rehabilitation Program hosted by the Arizona Department of Economic Security and several other statewide and university partners.
The office operates under the slogan “Real work, real pay, real respect.” Kristen Mackey, administrator of the Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration, said the launch represents a long-term journey of perseverance and collaboration.
Current initiatives
Current initiatives include We All Work Arizona, a project supported by the Vitalyst Foundation that advocates for competitive integrative employment as the expected outcome for people eligible with the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities. The office is also developing self-employment opportunities with the Office of Special Education Rehabilitation Services.
The team will support Arizona’s direct employment support professionals, who work with disabled individuals to find competitive integrated employment and live independently. Jacy Farkas, executive director of the Sonoran Center, said the goal is to embed support for people with disabilities into the systems of care.
Farkas added that the new office celebrates the center’s 20th anniversary while preparing for the next 20 years of service to Arizona. She said the office represents a major milestone, with the next step being implementation of employment first into policies and resources.
For Tucson residents, this initiative could mean more opportunities for disabled individuals to find meaningful work in their communities, with the support of state agencies and local partners. The office’s work aligns with broader efforts to challenge subminimum wage practices and promote economic self-sufficiency.