The disabled workforce has been another untapped resource, especially because its talents have often been undervalued. Stigma has played a key role in pushing them to enroll in courses separate from their peers in secondary schools that simply prepare them for lower-paid jobs. Such practices not only limited their access to higher-quality education, but also limited their opportunity to demonstrate to potential employers that they were competent in handling knowledge-based jobs. Such miscalculations are causing employers and business leaders to ignore many of the disabled Americans who are actually able to work in high-growth markets, thus solving the skills shortage crisis. “According to 2006 statistics, nearly 13% or more than 22 million working-age adults in the United States have a disability” (Heldrich 2008). There may be a growing percentage of the workforce with disabilities seeking employment positions; however, their representation in the workforce is likely to decline as the economy becomes more complex. “Nearly 38% of working-age adults with disabilities were employed compared to nearly 80% of individuals without disabilities” (Heldrich 2008). Prospective candidates with intellectual disabilities may face more obstacles because their limited mental capacity will label them as unable to handle the challenges of the 21st century workforce. “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines persons with intellectual disabilities as those who meet the following three criteria: 1) Level of intellectual functioning (IQ) less than 70-75; 2) Significant limitations in adaptive skills – the basic conceptual, social and practical skills needed for everyday life; and 3) Disability began before age 18” (Kauffman 2007). ...... half of the paper ...... finance various social programs. “The Alliance for Excellent Education has estimated that the approximately 1.2 million students who were supposed to graduate but did not graduate from the class of 2007 will cost the nation nearly $329 billion in lost income over the course of their lives. life” (ICW 2008). This excessive budget loss may make the United States more vulnerable to losing competitiveness relative to other nations and increase vulnerability to its national security. Furthermore, these millions could improve the United States' competitive status against its international rivals and national security if they improved their education. Encouraging and creating an environment where every student can complete their high school education and obtain some type of post-secondary education is critical to stimulating the wealth of this country and producing its own resources and not being dependent on other countries.