Disabilites and the Workforce: Disabled but Employable

According to the US Census Bureau, there were 56 million Americans with disabilities in 2002. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) "prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment." This means that the working-age citizens of the 56 million disabled Americans cannot be turned away from a job because they are disabled.

The Act was passed in 1990 "to prevent discrimination and enable individuals with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society." The ADA was primarily formed so that individuals with disabilities who want to work and are qualified have an equal opportunity to do so.

It's great that there is such a law for disabled Americans, myself included, but the law alone is not enough. The Act does not help those of us who want to work but are limited because of our disability. For instance, my disability, a heart condition I was born with, does not allow me to drive, sit at a desk for eight hours, or have enough energy to be productive at a nine-to-five job. There are many people in the US with situations similar to mine and some even more severe.

In February 2001, President Bush created the New Freedom Initiative to remove the remaining barriers that disabled Americans still face in order to fully integrate us into American life. The Initiative has four segments:
o Increasing Access Through Technology
o Expanding Educational Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
o Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the Workplace
o Promoting Full Access to Community Life

According to the 2004 Progress Report, new technologies are providing individuals with greater access to school, work and community life; funding has been increased for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires that eligible students with disabilities be provided a free appropriate public education; telework, a work arrangement in which employees work away from their traditional offices at alternative sites, is beginning to gain in popularity in both the private and public sectors; and many accomplishments have been made in response to President Bush's Executive Order 13217, which requires coordination among numerous Federal agencies that administer programs affecting access to the community for people with disabilities.

Although we have come far, we are not yet completely set up where a disabled person can finish school, find a job and work that job, or similar ones, until retirement. It is still more difficult for us to find suitable employment.

What, then, is the answer for people like us? If you can find a job working from home, you're on the right path. But, even though technology is moving us in that direction, it is not easy to find substantial work from home.
So what else is there?

Fortunately, there are services out there that can help answer this question. One such place is Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). VR provides grants to states to support a wide range of services designed to help individuals with disabilities prepare for and participate in productive employment. Individuals who qualify are those with a physical or mental impairment that results in a substantial difficulty to work and can benefit from VR services for employment.

In 2003, 96 percent of VR offices were able to assist at least 55.8 percent of individuals receiving services to achieve employment and 96 percent of these individuals were able to obtain competitive employment.

VR counselors work closely with doctors, employers, other agencies and all other resources available to help people become rehabilitated and employed. Services provided are based on a person's needs and determined by the counselor. Some services that are available include medical and psychological evaluations and treatment, interpreter services, occupational equipment and tools, vocational training, employment assistance, transportation and on-the-job training.

Similar services can be found at one-stop career centers, a publicly funded resource for jobseekers and businesses. They were developed to bring together employment and training services that work with all people into one place and make it easier for job seekers and employers to use these services. You can find jobs, locate public workforce services in your area, explore alternative career paths, get job interviewing tips and interview strategies and much more. To find a one-stop career center in your area, log on to careeronestop.org. Here you can also post your resume, locate potential employers and identify your workforce needs.

There are many other websites available to disabled people who wish to work. The first one you should take a look at is the Disability Rights Commission's web page "Employment, Health, and disability." This site offers information on how to determine if you're ready to work, what kind of job to look for, how you will get to work, support services and self-employment. There is also a section on getting what you need to survive and thrive at work.

Another great site to look at is Diversity World. It is a website aimed at helping disabled people break through barriers in the workforce. There is a link on the website that provides information specifically for disability and employment. It includes resources to help people with disabilities improve their job search strategies and career development. Services include tips on disclosing your disability, how to determine what type of job accommodations you need, legal issues and other miscellaneous resources. There is also a link to sign up for Diversity World's newsletter.

Diversity World's website also includes a link to the "Career and Employment Guide for Job Seekers and Employees with Disabilities." Among other information, the Guide includes information on career planning and preparation, workplace orientation, job searching, entering the workplace, the road to career success and starting your own business. The Guide also includes published success stories.

You'll also find valuable information on the National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult web site. The site includes a three-stage career development process:
o Develop a personal profile showing your interests, strengths, preferences and dreams
o Explore the types of jobs that are out there through networking, informal resources and mentors
o Put your plan into action by creating or updating your resume and reference list, prepare for interviews and compile a portfolio

The site also has materials for job seekers, such as information about one-stop centers, strategies for finding jobs and a listing of national disability advocacy organizations.

These websites should get you started in your search for employment for disabled Americans. It may not seem like much, but each site has valuable information that can help you with your job search as well as learning your rights as an employable, disabled American.