Disability Resources

Today's workforce is more diverse than ever, employing individuals of all backgrounds including those with disabilities. To become their best self-advocates in the workplace, students with disabilities should prepare themselves to face unique challenges in their career planning and employment processes. The following resources can help students with disabilities better understand these challenges and highlight resources and services that will advance their career success.

A Good Place to Start:

Below are some job sites specifically for people with disabilities and employers who want to hire them:

GENERAL RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERS WITH DISABILITIES

Ability Magazine

The goal of ABILITYJobs and JobAccess is to enable people with disabilities to enhance their professional lives by providing a dedicated system for finding employment. By posting job opportunities, employers not only exhibit an open door policy, but also demonstrate their responsiveness to affirmative action by genuinely recruiting qualified persons with disabilities.

American Association Of People With Disabilities

Internships, grants, health care benefits plan, much more.

Career Corner: Requesting Accommodations for Employment

(closed captioned video with sign language interpreter)
Presented by Lisa Maberry, Microsoft, Alissa Brower-Severini and Rene Forsythe, Lime Connect This session will cover whether, when, and how to disclose your disability and ask for accommodations during the recruiting process, onboarding or throughout employment. We will focus on identifying what you need to be successful in each setting and how to communicate the unique strengths you have as a person with a disability. (2020 Ability Summit)

What Can You Do? The Campaign for Disability Employment

A consortium composed of large and small universities, well-known national employers and US Government agencies focused on the career employment of college graduates with disabilities. Best features include profiles of featured employers, employees and students and their membership directory which can be a resource for persons seeking contact information for COSD members in their area or field of work.

College Resources for Students With Disabilities

This guide includes tips and resources to help students transition from college to career, an overview of the various cognitive, physical, or other types of disabilities students face while attending school, and reviews of several technologies and advocate groups available to students who face various disabilities, such as ADD, autism, and more.

CTP

The staff of Computer Technologies Program (CTP) prepares people with disabilities for professional employment by providing technical training, coaching and associated services.

Disability.gov

The U.S. government has compiled information about your employment rights, gain access to job bank and resume-building sites, and learn about work incentives for Social Security recipients and job accommodations.

Disabled Business persons Association

A nonprofit organization whose services include: Personal Business Advisor; Business Plan and Financial Assistance Packaging; Market and Product Research Marketing; Advertising and Public Relations; Presentation and Proposal Documentation; and more.

Employer's Guide to Hidden Disabilities

Provides information about the ADA, hidden disabilities and workplace accommodations. The booklet also includes an extensive list of resources related to this topic.

Guidelines for Documentation of Physical Disabilities & Chronic Health Conditions

ETS standards for regarding documentation for test accommodations.

Independent Living Research Utilization Job Announcements

Job announcements as a service to independent living centers, state independent living councils and other disability-related organizations.

Job Accommodation Network

JAN is a free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the employability of people with disabilities.

Job Opportunities in the Federal Government for People with Disabilities

This page explains federal policies toward hiring people with disabilities and workplace accommodation, and provides detailed instructions for people with disabilities who are interested in applying for a job in the Federal government.

Lime Connect

Lime Connect works to connect students and alumni with disabilities to opportunities with top companies.

Money Geek

A Guide on How to Get Scholarships and Grants for Students With Disabilities

National Council on Independent Living

Mission: As a membership organization, NCIL advances independent living and the rights of people with disabilities through consumer-driven advocacy. Vision: NCIL envisions a world in which people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully.The USBLN® is pleased to recognize its sponsors and their generous support

National Business and Disability Council

Post your resume and search for jobs.

Getting Hired

Where people with disabilities gather, network, & find success in the workplace with employers.

Resume Tips for Job Seekers with Disabilities (resumebuilder.com)

Read about best practices for resume writing, laws that protect you from discrimination, and several other topics that you should know about as a disabled worker.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)

Helps persons with disabilities interested in studying, teaching, conducting research, interning or volunteering abroad to find exchange programs, as well as any disability-related accommodation and accessibility information needed to make the international experience a success.

Personal Finance Guide for People with Disabilities

US Business Leadership Network!

The US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®) is the national business organization currently representing 55 BLN affiliates in 32 states including the District of Columbia and more than 5,000 employers using a “business to business” strategy to promote the business imperative of including people with disabilities in the workforce.

JOB SEEKERS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

American Foundation for the Blind

A listing of jobs nationwide, by category (rehabilitation agencies, media, etc.) from the American Federation for the Blind:

AFB CareerConnect

Links job seekers to career exploration and planning resources as well as to a network of blind and visually impaired people who offer first-hand information and advice about job experience and the assistive technology they use to other blind or visually impaired individuals, rehabilitation professionals, teachers and parents.

My Blind Spot

World Services for the Blind

DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING JOB SEEKERS

American Sign Language Teachers Association

Job listings and resources for ASL teachers.

The Deaf Resource Library

A comprehensive collection of online reference material and links on deaf and hard-of-hearing topics. Includes indices of national/state/private organizations for the deaf as well schools for the deaf and deaf-owned businesses.

Employment and Deafness

A collection of articles from about.com about employment issues for deaf individuals.

Deaf Education Web

Interested in working with others who are deaf or hard of hearing? Search their job listings for teaching opportunities.

Deaftek USA

Another job board site with listings in the areas of agency, business, education, interpreters, mental health, and organizations. Focuses on employment opportunities for deaf people and persons that serve this population.

Jobs at Gallaudet University

Search for jobs at the world's only university designed exclusively to educate and serve deaf and hard of hearing people and those who work with them.

JOB SEEKERS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

A collection of articles by licensed professional counselors about career and work issues for individuals with ADD.

Accommodation Ideas for Individuals with Learning Disabilities

From the Job Accommodation Network.

Working Effectively with Persons who have Cognitive Disabilities

Article from the Disability Law Resource Project.

Coping with LD/ADD in the Work Place

From the Vancouver Island Invisible Disability Association. Offers a good pro and con list of if and when to disclose to your employer.

JOB SEEKERS WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

https://cpr.bu.edu/resources-and-information/employment-repository/workers/

From Boston University. An interactive and informative website for people with a psychiatric condition that addresses issues and reasonable accommodations related to work and school. This is the only site designed exclusively to provide information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other employment and education issues for people with psychiatric disabilities.

JOB SEEKERS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS

Following are articles from the Job Accommodation Network on how employers can accommodate people with various health problems. These articles give some ideas about how you as an employee could ask for accommodation. For a more thorough list, visit their search engine.