Finding Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

John Keating, BCC, CPSE
Apr 23, 2018
3 min read

Beginning the search for a job can be scary, especially if you are person with special needs. Having a disability can make things like writing a resume or interviewing with a potential employer, a much more challenging task. But thanks to advocacy programs, advanced technology, and specialized staffing agencies, individuals with special needs are not only able to find jobs, they are able to excel in the workplace. Here are three things a person with special needs can do to help them land a job.

#1 Ask for help

Seeking out a counselor or a professional who specializes in this field is a great idea to begin the search for employment. John Keating, owner of Strategic Staffing, a staffing agency that provides community integrated employment services for individuals with disabilities, says, “Somebody that has a history and training in this area can bring awareness to an individual’s situation and help place them in the right occupation.” The search to find a job can be exhausting and professionals are there to help. “Typically the families I work with have been looking for jobs for their children for months or years, most of them not knowing what direction to go in.

One of the first things I have to explain to my clients is that finding the job is not the hard part. The type of job is the part that takes most of the time, once you figured that out the rest is a lot easier,” says Keating. Also, a professional can provide objective guidance, where someone like a parent, cannot. Companies like Strategic Staffing not only help place individuals with special needs in jobs, but also coach them and help develop a special set of skills one needs to get hired. “Coaches that have experience with people with disabilities know how to empower them by setting clear expectations, establishing a high degree of confidence in the, and following up weekly with clients to ensure they integrate new ways of thinking and take action toward their goals,” says Keating.

#2 Make Connections and Network

Networking is key to any job search and especially so for a person with special needs. Parents can ask friends, neighbors, and relatives of any available opportunities for their child. We all have to start somewhere, and mowing a neighbor’s lawn or bagging groceries at the local supermarket is work experience that can lead to something more fruitful. Same goes for volunteering; if your child enjoys reading, volunteering at a local library is a great way to help them practice for a job, it will also get them some great references, too. “It’s important to surround yourself with real life employment situations so you can up your own game in finding employment,” says Keating. Having a disability shouldn’t limit your network; in fact it should grow it. Many employers want to learn about inclusive hiring practices and how they may benefit from it. It’s a two way street!

Keating also suggests something called “raising your reference point.” Oftentimes expectations of people with disabilities or learning issues are low, but that shouldn’t necessarily be the case. If a person with disabilities is expected to aspire to a high-paying corporate job, often times they will, Keating says. When your surroundings are elevated, the opportunity to achieve more is there.

#3 Develop a Strategy

It’s simply not enough to have your skills and your network in place; you need to create a plan and set goals, too. Work with your child to develop short and long-term goals, with the ultimate goal being a job that aligns with his interests, abilities, and availability in the competitive job market. Goals can be as simple as starting a volunteer position in the next 30 days, to obtaining full-time paid employment within one year.

Keating breaks it down in two components. They are “informational interviews and hanging out with intent.” “One is designed to be more like an informational gathering meeting and the other is helping out/working in a business to show you have value,” he says. Companies such as Strategic Staffing can help you and your child development a plan around gaining employment and keeping employment.

They can also help your child create unique employment opportunities like a “business within a business model” in which employers help those with special needs get their own business ideas off the ground. “I once helped someone put shoe rental business in a tuxedo rental store,” said Keating, which is just one example of how someone with special needs can be innovative in their approach to finding employment.