Jobs for people with disabilities

Disabled people represent the 15% of the global population and 80% of them are of working age. This means that in America, more than 10.3 million adults live with mobility problems or other physical limitations. Many people mistakenly think about disabilities as a limitation. But a growing number of people are coming to understand them as opportunities. There is, after all, no greater limitation than a lack of imagination.

Regardless of specific conditions, jobs for people with disabilities are plentiful. There are numerous examples in the history of disabled people making incredible contributions. From the arts and sciences to politics and invention, disabled people have the world to offer.

Studies from the Adecco Group show that disabled people develop special skill sets compared to the general population. They are likelier to have strong personal values such as motivation responsibility, and a positive attitude. They are, in fact, especially well-suited to certain jobs.

Having a disability doesn’t mean lacking the necessary skills to perform at a workplace. There are lots of jobs for people with disabilities. Career opportunities abound! Here are a few ideas to get started:

  For visually impaired people:

- Early childhood education and teaching

Young people are curious, always exploring to find and connect with their inner self and looking for new sources of inspiration. A person with visual impairment can bring distinctive insights to the playground or the classroom, expanding students’ understanding of the world.

- Music production

Visual impairment can make you focus on the world of sound in beneficial ways. If you have a good musical ear, the absence of visual distractions can make you a natural to work recording and mixing songs and sounds. It’s a great career path for the visually impaired.

For physically disabled people:

- Medical administration

Many employers really value having people in their staff who understand what some of their patients might be going through, and if you think about it, you don’t have to be mobile when working in a hospital department or a medical office.

- Marketing and market research

People with physical disabilities possess uniquely informed perspire for you offering the rewarding sensation of contributing in a meaningful way to society. Keep your skills and your needs in mind, but don’t forget to ask yourself what would make you happy.

- Vocational counseling

Why not help in finding great jobs for people with disabilities? If you’re a social person and enjoy helping others, you can use your life experience to guide others as an occupational guidance counselor.

- Almost any job that lets you work from home

There are jobs that require spending more time at home while working, being an ideal option for a disabled person. Examples of careers like this might be a medical transcription, graphic design, writing, computer support and web development.

For deaf or hearing-impaired people

- Drafting

This is a great employment option for anyone who enjoys focusing on what they are doing without having distractions. It also offers the opportunity to play a role in the making of buildings or other structures.

- Science

Many people with hearing impairments have achieved incredibly meaningful careers in the sciences. Whether it’s biotechnology, chemistry, robotics or else, disabilities don't matter in science.

- Medical laboratory technician

Doing diagnostic testing accurately is a crucial part of the healthcare system. It requires precision, organization and responsibility. Besides that, it's the kind of job where you usually won't need to talk to too many people.

Careers for people that have intellectual disabilities

- Veterinary assistant

If you love dogs, cats, and other critters this might be an ideal option for you. Working with animals draws out the best in a person.

- Design, illustration or photography

Many people with an intellectual disability are blessed with a unique affinity for artistic expression. If you fit the bill, the visual arts may be the great place for you to shine.

No matter what disability you are living with, there’s a career out there for you offering the rewarding sensation of contributing in a meaningful way to society. Keep your skills and your needs in mind, but don’t forget to ask yourself what would make you happy.

A Few Things to Keep In Mind When Looking For Job Vacancies for Disabled Persons

Finding a job can be a grueling experience for most people, and if you are also dealing with a disability, it is easy to get discouraged if you only focus on statistics, as disability unemployment rates are relatively high.

However, rather than to fix on the negative outlook and let it discourage you, I believe it can be used to frame the whole conversation on a different, more productive way entirely.

It is essential to understand the situation and be aware of the different challenges you’ll most likely have to deal with as you look for vacancies for disabled persons. But it is equally vital to know that the right job for you is out there, and even though it might take a while to find, you should nevertheless keep at it, since perseverance is the name of the game here.

On that note, I thought I should share with you a few viewpoints or reframing structures that might help you out through the process.

It’s a number’s game:

 Finding vacancies for disabled persons is a challenging process, but it's important that you keep in mind that it is a process.

You might get lucky and be offered a job you love quickly. However, chances are you are going to have to be on the hunt for a while before those interviews and prospects start coming in. Some sources say disabled people need to apply for 60% more jobs than non-disabled jobseekers before they find work.

However, rather than merely letting this be a discouraging fact, use it to manage your expectations and plan ahead your approach. Knowing that you’ll have to knock on a lot of doors as part of the process of getting your job makes dealing with the ones that fall through more manageable. Try and think of it like this: Even those interviews that don’t pan out count as another stone on the road you are paving on your way to your new job, it is all part of the process, so you needn’t be discouraged.

So, when things get a bit frustrating, try and take a deep breath, and remember you are playing the long game here, and every day you do the work and don’t get discouraged is a win. Keep sending those resumes, and doing the interviews, it will happen eventually.

Public perception is changing:

It is no secret that one of the significant hurdles one has to overcome when looking for vacancies for disabled persons public perception, and the market-wide misconceptions there are about hiring disabled people.

Things like fears to the costs of accommodations for disabled employees, and insecurities about their reliability are slowly but surely being dispelled from public perception.

There’s an extensive and growing movement behind this push to shift perception and bring public awareness on the issue – as well as efforts to remedy them. Institutions and organizations whose sole purpose is to bring about a significant change in the jobs availability landscape for disabled workers.

As you go through your efforts in finding a suitable job, know that you are part of this movement and things are getting better.

Know where to look:

Have you ever heard of the saying “Work smarter, not harder”? Well, looking for a job is a challenging endeavor by itself without us needing to add extra difficulty on top of it.

One of the first things you should do as you search vacancies for disabled persons is to focus and give priority to those sites and resources that focus exclusively on jobs for disabled people. This way, you know the employer is already open to hire people with disabilities and that the job will offer accommodations as necessary.

Websites like disABLEDperson.com focus on creating a job market specifically to assist people with disability to readily find jobs geared to them, and employers post their opening there with that in mind. Similar sites like Ability Jobs, or even governmental assets like disability resources page, can help make your search much more efficient and cut down the time it takes for you to find that job you want.

Overall, it is vital for you to keep a positive attitude and the correct mindset in this endeavor.It is the best way to embark on the challenge of finding a job and making the whole process as manageable and efficient as possible. Keep at it for a while, and you’ll find the right fit. We promise.

Top Employment Options for People with Disabilities

When we talk about employment for people with disabilities, we talk about limited options for the wide population of more than 20 million disabled people that should have a stable job in the US. Fortunately, the federal government has taken some measures to improve the policies that protect and favor the opportunities of employment for people with disabilities. Let’s take a look at some of the best employment options for disabled people.

Earning the money to fulfill your needs is one of the most rewarding things in life. It means that your skills are worth some money and that you can contribute to finish tasks and help a business grow. It is sad to see how some people pre-judge disabled people before they even show their skills or potential. If you have special needs and don’t know how to find a job that you can perfectly perform despite of your disability, here’s a whole list of occupations that could help you find the right job for you.

Potential Fields for People with Intellectual Disabilities

People with intellectual disabilities count for more than 8 million. They tend to be very creative and need to express their energy with their hands. They also love to feel free and be outdoors, for which careers related to operating heavy tools is great for them.

• ·        Design, photography, and illustration: Designer, photographer, illustrator, painter.

• ·        Culinary arts: Chef, cook, baker.

• ·        Broadcasting related technology: Cameraman, broadcast technician

• ·        Computer programming: Application software developer, computer programmer, system software developer.

Potential Fields for People with Hearing Disabilities

More than 4 million American adults are hearing impaired. People with this kind of disability can barely find a limit to perform a job. They have found their way to work in almost every field. Here are the most common ones.

• ·        Drafting: mechanical drafters, architectural drafters.

• ·        Science: biologist, environmental conservationist, sociologist, geologist, among others.

• ·        Performing arts: Producer, actor.

• ·        Carpenter.

• ·        Medical laboratory technician.

Potential Fields for People with Physical Disabilities

The number of people with limited mobility reaches more than 10 million adults in the US. It is important to mention that this kind of disability does not have to be limitative at all! There’s a wide array of career options that are perfectly doable for people with mobility problems.

• ·        Pharmacy services: Pharmacy technician, sale representative, pharmacist.

• ·        Vocational counselor.

• ·        Accounting: Accountant, auditor, accounting clerk.

• ·        Marketing: Marketing specialist, marketing manager, research analyst.

• ·    Working remotely: Writer, web developer, medical transcriptionist, graphic designer, computer support specialist.

• ·   Medical administration: medical office assistant, health service manager, health information technician.

Potential Fields for People with Visual Disabilities

This disability affects more than 3 million American adults. Most visually impaired people use one of the many assistive technologies that have been invented to help them contribute and perform almost any task, which broadens their employment options.

• ·        Music production: Producers in the recording industry, audio equipment technicians, audio recording engineers.

• ·        Teaching and early childhood education: teacher assistant, childcare worker, a school teacher.

• ·        Legal services: legal counselor.

Potential Fields for People with Learning Disabilities

Studying and building a career can be very challenging for these individuals. They may struggle with writing, reading, thinking, listening, time management, memory, organization, speaking, and more. However, there’s a possibility for everybody. It’s just a matter of looking in the right places. Normally, people with learning disabilities can have problems in one area and have strong skills in another.

• ·        Entrepreneur.

• ·        Filmmaker.

• ·        Counselor.

• ·        Broadcast news anchor.

• ·        Nursing assistant.

• ·        Broadcast correspondent.

Potential Fields for People with Emotional or Psychiatric Disorders

In the US, if a person suffers from anxiety, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, he/she is considered to have a mental disorder that limits them from functioning properly in a social environment. It is expected that they can’t properly behave in a job environment either, which can limit their careers. The ideal working careers for emotionally disabled people are the ones that have limited or inexistent social contact.

• ·        Welder.

• ·        Electronic engineer.

• ·        Electrician.

• ·        Computer animation.

Finding a job is never an easy thing to do, but earning your money is the most rewarding way to fulfill your needs. Don’t let frustration knock on your door. Inform yourself of the legal policies that force employers to have disabled people in their workforce and look for careers that suit your strongest skills. Keep trying and never settle for less than what you deserve.

Finding Jobs for Handicapped Persons – A Few Practical Tips and Advice

Finding a job is a challenging experience for anyone.

On one side, there’s the issue of finding a steady income source. But more than that, we all want a place where our talents can be put to good use. A place to share with like-minded, friendly people who hopefully share our interests, at least professionally.

That being said, the prospect of finding jobs for handicapped persons presents even more challenges than usual. It is no secret that many employers factor in disabilities in their hiring policies, even when they have no bearing on the tasks to be performed.

Add to that the number of misconceptions present on the hiring market, and you can get discouraged fairly quickly if you aren’t actively paying attention.

The good news is that, slowly but surely, this landscape is changing.

More and more hiring managers are becoming aware of the unique benefits of broad and inclusive hiring policies, and the advantages of having a capable and diverse workforce.

So, to help anyone out there actively looking for jobs for handicapped persons, we’ve put together a handful of useful advice and tips on the matter. To hopefully help you have a more effective and successful experience.

On disclosing disabilities:

This is actually an FAQ whenever the subject of job hunting with a disability comes up. And honestly, there are no easy answers.

For starters, federal law states that you aren’t required to reveal your disability to prospective employers unless it affects the completion of essential job functions. That being said, you should at least consider being open on the subject. Volunteering this information at the appropriate time might show the potential employer you are confident and upfront person.

Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary for disability employment policy at the U.S. Department of Labor said this on the matter:

“If [the medical disability] is not obvious, unless it is germane for the actual job, I don't think it's necessary to discuss it during an interview.”

However, he was emphatic about being upfront with employers when said disability could potentially affect the job:

“Legally, you don't have to, but most employers would appreciate the openness, and it would help create a positive working relationship."

Judging on a case by case basis, you may decide to describe your limitations on a resume, cover letter, wait for an interview, or after you’ve been hired. But in the end, it is a very personal decision, and only you can gauge when (if ever) is the appropriate time to do so.

However, if you do, the best strategy is to acknowledge it and steer back quickly to how you’d do the job. In these situations, it is essential to emphasize how your disability won´t affect your ability to do the job.

Don’t dismiss part-time and volunteer work:

Yes, you probably have your eyesight set on a fulltime position, and all the benefits one brings. However, passing up and not applying on part-time job offerings or volunteer work might be a mistake.

Getting a part-time job on the same field you are searching a fulltime position is an excellent way of getting your foot on the door of the industry. Not to mention that it immediately makes you a more desirable prospect – curriculum-wise – and still allows you to have plenty of time to keep searching for that ideal fulltime position.

On top of that, the job finding process becomes a way less stressful and more manageable proposition once you have a stable – albeit limited – source of income. Allowing you to be much more objective, and selective, when judging other openings flaws and merits from a vantage point.

Also, keep in mind that many a part-time job eventually becomes fulltime. Once your presence in a company is set, many employers are open to expanding the position after a while.

Lastly, on the subject of volunteer work, it might sound like a tricky proposition if you are pressed on the income front. However, taking a volunteer position whose responsibilities mirror those of the job position you are after is an excellent way to showcase that you can get the job done. A factor that leads us to our next point.

The show, don’t tell:

A traditional advice that every writer gets at some point, it is also very applicable for those looking jobs for handicapped persons.

This is true for any jobseeker out there, but it bears even more weight for someone with a disability: It is much more powerful to demonstrate that you can do the job than just saying you can.

Volunteer work and Internships are a prime way to do this effectively. If your resume showcases you’ve been successfully doing the job you are applying for, a hiring manager is that much more likely to pay less attention to your disability and focus on your talents and skills to accomplish the job.

Finding a job isn’t easy and doing so while disabled can seem overwhelming at times. However, it is essential you keep a positive attitude as you search for jobs for handicapped persons.

Focusing on your abilities and using every tool at your disposal to make that search more effective is vital to improving your chances of finding the job you want quickly. Job seeking is a marathon, not a race, and making sure to keep that in mind will surely make the whole endeavor more manageable.

Online Resources to Learn More about Different Aspects of Jobs for Disabled workers

Finding work can be an overwhelming process for anyone. Moreover, living with disabilities can pose any number of additional challenges for those who are looking for jobs for disabled workers.

One of the most important aspects regarding jobs for disabled workers is having all the information on how the law works, how to get training and what are the organizations that support inclusive employment opportunities. Luckily, there are many different tools that can make life a little easier, and such is the case of the internet.

Ever since we all had access to this technology in the mid-1990s, internet users have increased from 16 million in 1995 to nearly 4 billion and counting. That is a 250X increase.

There are more than 1 billion live websites today, and many of these are dedicated to helping people learn about their rights, find jobs, and assist companies looking to hire disabled workers while others offer different tools and information and advice about the law, training, and more.

Here are a few useful websites you should check out to learn more about different topics regarding working and living with a disability.

Online Resources about the Employment Rights of Individuals with Disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities website

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prevents people with disabilities to be discriminated against in different aspects such as employment, communication transportation means, public accommodations, and access to federal programs and services. Ada.gov provides information and technical assistance on the law.

The Department of Labor

The Department of Labor website has several pages dedicated to the ADA and other resources for disabled workers. This includes links to different relevant government agencies and resources for job seekers and employers.

Online Resources about Finding Jobs for Disabled workers

Disability and Employment Online

The Employment and Training Administration or ETA has initiatives for people with disabilities who are looking to enter the country’s workforce. They do this through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This law aims to help businesses meet their staffing needs while giving opportunities to people with disabilities.

The Disability and Employment Online site offers information about laws and regulations, guidance, grants, and other more.

START-UP/USA

The Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, & Training or START-UP/USA is a project funded by the Department of Labor‘s Office of Disability Employment Policy.They provide assistance and information about resources for people with disabilities looking to become self-employed.

Online Information about Training

The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD).

This website offers technical assistance, training, and information to improve inclusive access to the workforce development system.

National Center for Accessible Educational Materials

This website has a lot of information to help anyone learn the basics of accessible education materials (AEM) and technologies. People can register and watch webinars and presentations from their Events, as well as find Accessible Educational Materials to learn more about the topic.

They also provide Accessible Educational Materials for parents and families, educators, and for workforce development.

Online Information about Activism and Advocacy

The Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)

APSE is the only national organization that focuses exclusively on integrated employment and opportunities for career advancement for people with disabilities. They support an annual conference, and its members include families, disability professionals and businesses throughout the 50 states and Puerto Rico, and other countries.

Their website provides a lot of information for individuals with disabilities, their families, current and potential employers, and more.

RespectAbility

RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization working alongside different sectors such as policymakers, employers, faith-based organizations, philanthropists, journalists and online media –among others, to improve people with disabilities’ advancement opportunities. Their free online tools help inform people on how individuals with disabilities can get an education, training, jobs, and other resources.