Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the process of support for competitive employment in a Vocational Support Center which cooperates with the Employment and Living Support Center for the Disabled. The survey was conducted on 6 staff members working in the center. The center was set up as an annex to the Employment and Living Support Center for persons with disabilities. Interviews were performed and the data was analyzed using the Shimanouchi Method Rise and Fall Charts. As a result we have found three characteristics unique to the center. 1) The staff of the center feel ambivalent toward the disabled on how to deal with these people on their normalization. 2) They are now trying to understand how their employment support activities should be, and share the knowledge with other supporters outside their institution. 3) The staff expressed their opinion that they need to build a system for the job retention of the disabled, while the director who is in charge of the center emphasized on the need for its stable management. Future research on support for competitive employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities needs to consider the practice and its assessment of challenges by supporting people both from their families and institutions involved.
