Adults with disabilities are significantly less likely than people without disabilities to participate in the labor market and often earn lower earnings (Taylor et al., 2004; Pagan, 2009; Yamamoto et al., 2012), as well as limited opportunities for promotion and career advancement (Yamamoto et al., 2012). People with disabilities are only half as likely to have a job as their working age peers (Employments Action Plan, 2014). As a result, people with disabilities also experience consistently higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. The Central Statistics Office's publication on “Our Bill of Health” based on the 2011 census findings clearly illustrates a lower employment rate for people with disabilities in Ireland (CSO, 2011). Most people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities and mental health problems, continue to be excluded from the labor market (CSO, 2011). This essay asks a number of sub-questions – when discussing where employment opportunities will be created for people with disabilities. in the coming years we will also need to consider how these job opportunities will be created. There is also a need to explore some of the barriers that currently impede progress towards increasing levels of employment among people with disabilities. Why is work important? Employment is commonly considered a key factor for social inclusion (Skellern & Astbury, 2012). Workplaces have been identified as community centers, where adults, including those with disabilities, can form networks and contribute to society (Hall & Kramer, 2009). A job can increase an individual's self-esteem and help him or her feel accepted (Nolan, 2005). The UK Department for Education... at the heart of the paper ......skills. British Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 42(1), 58-65.Stuart, H, "Mental illness and employment discrimination", Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 19, 2006, pp.522-526.Taylor, BJ, McGilloway, S. and Donnelly, M. (2004). Preparing young adults with disabilities for the world of work. Community Health and Social Care, 12(2), 93-101. United Nations. [UN] (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. [Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=259] United Nations. [UN] (1948). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/]Yamamoto, S., Unruh, D., & Bullis, M. (2012). The feasibility of self-employment for people with disabilities in the United States: A synthesis of the empirical research literature. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 36(2), 121-134.