When most people think about careers, they think about college degrees, job interviews, and dressing for success. Of course, all these things are important, but addressing career development for students with disabilities needs a holistic approach to help prepare students for job success.
The best way to equip students for success once they get a job is to have a cheerleader in their corner to advocate, mentor and encourage.
In this guide we’ll step you through the challenges, skills development, resources and career opportunities to help students with disabilities be prepared for a rewarding work life.
How can skills be developed in students with a disability?
For many, a job isn’t just about getting paid – although it certainly is a good part. Many people love what they do, and there are loads of personal benefits of working, such as friendship and social interaction, fulfillment, giving back to the community, a sense of identity, learning new skills, health benefits and a sense of meaning and purpose.
Looking for a first job and taking the unknown step into the working world can be difficult and daunting. Add in the complexities of trying to work out how to navigate the recruitment process, and most of us end up overwhelmed, let alone young people with disabilities that need extra support.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights further evidence to support the various challenges faced. Approximately 32.2 million Americans age 16 and over have a disability, and as of July 2021, 43.7 percent who were not working reported some type of barrier to employment. Encouragingly, these numbers reveal a slight improvement from previous years, but there’s still a significant disconnect for a group of the population ready and willing to contribute to society.
The findings also reveal the main challenges for workforce participation:
- 78.9 percent reported their disability was a barrier to employment
- 12.0 percent cited a lack of education or training
- 10.5 percent expressed the need for special features on the job; and
- 10.3 percent said lack of transportation.
The good news is most of these barricades can be broken down with specialized support programs that work directly with job seekers and businesses. Our suite of employment services focuses on removing barriers preventing individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities from finding and keeping gainful employment.
In our experience, we often find simple modifications or accommodations are needed, and a person with a disability can perform their job functions at the same level as anyone.
What career development opportunities and resources are available for students with disabilities?
Since the President’s Executive Order was signed in August 2010, increasing job opportunities for individuals with disabilities has been a national priority.
The article was written by Opportunities Village and published on October 26th, 2022.
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To find resources not localized to Las Vegas that can help with the campaign for Disability employment, please click here.
