New Opportunities for the Professional Career of People with Intellectual Disabilities: The Impact of the Itinerary Methodology on their Access to Employment. The Castilla y León Model

Access to employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities requires individualized support processes, especially in the transition from school to employment. Public/private collaboration initiatives are emerging as successful strategies. This paper analyzes the implementation of the Individualized Itineraries Project in Castilla y León, analyzing its impact on the professional career of people with intellectual disabilities and its incursion into public policies. From the analysis we can conclude that these programs promote the employability of the group, under a comprehensive model of intervention that transcends the intermediation, covering planned actions from training for employment to access to housing. It is also observed its consolidation within the strategy of attention to disability in this territory and its orientation towards the achievement of a new model of day centers, oriented to the professional training of people with intellectual disabilities, with the aim of achieving a new social role that contributes to their life project.