EMPLOYMENT
This page provides a variety of information and resources on the topic of employment for people with disabilities, including:
Job Openings:
- SILC Coordinator, Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council, application deadline February 10, 2012
- Independent Living Peer Guide, Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann Inc., MA
- Vocational Program Manager, Sothern California Rehabilitation Services, Inc. (SCRS)
- Executive Director, Center for Independent Living of Broward, application deadline January 31, 2012
- Executive Director, Center for Living & Working, Inc. of Worcester, Massachusetts, application deadline January 31, 2012
- Executive Director, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, Topeka KS
- Healthcare Policy Organizer, The Boston Center for Independent Living
- RN Care Coordinator, IndependenceFirst, Milwaukee, WI
- Research Associate, University of Montana Rural Institute; Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, Missoula, MT, Screening begins December 5, 2011 and will continue until position is filled
- Operations and Human Resources Specialist, Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann Inc., MA
- Director of Human Resources, The Whole Person in Kansas City, MO
- Employment Program Manager, Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, Inc.
- Six New Open Positions at Tri-County ILC in Northern Utah
- Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) / Benefits counselor, Arizona Bridge to Independent Living
- Director of Advocacy, The Center for Disability Rights, Inc., Rochester, New York
- Program Manager, The CIL In Central Florida, Inc., Fort Myers, FL
- Job Developer / Employment Specialist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, Southern California Rehabilitation Services, INC., Downey CA
- Community Work Incentives Coordinator, Center for Independent Living In Central Florida, Ft. Myers area
- Director of Development, Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living, Washington, PA
- Senior Field Associate, Field Department, FamiliesUSA
- Health Policy Analyst, Medicaid and CHIP, Health Policy Department, FamiliesUSA
- Health Equity Department Internship, Health Equity Department, FamiliesUSA
- Independent Living Advocate, Center for Independence of the Disabled, San Mateo, CA
- Social Security Administration - Various job openings w/ possible preference for workers w/ disabilities
News
Claims Of Workplace Disability Discrimination At All-Time High, By Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop, January 24, 2012
AAPD Praises President Obama and U.S. Labor Department for Proposed Regulations to Promote Opportunity for Job Seekers with Disabilities, From the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), December 8, 2011
Modest Investments in Technology Accommodations Reap Big Rewards for Employers, By Guest Blogger Kevin A. Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Industries for the Blind (NIB), Disability Blog, August 24, 2011
Enhance Your Workforce and Save Money by Hiring People with Disabilities, By Guest Blogger Cecelia Taylor, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Disability Blog, August 16, 2011
Announcing NCIL Policy Internship Program!, From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), August 01, 2011
NCIL Support for Section 511 Draft Language, From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Weekly Advocacy Monitor, Volume 9, Issue 26, July 20, 2011
Resources for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities, By Penny Pickett, Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development, U.S. Small Business Administration, Disability Blog, July 11, 2011
Report indicates few with disabilities employed, By Diane Stafford, The Kansas City Star, June 24, 2011
EEOC Holds Hearing on Employment of Individuals with Mental Disabilities, By Diane Z., Disability Blog, April 11, 2011
Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS) Facilitate Employment of Persons with Serious Physical and Mental Disabilities, By Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services and Member of the MA Work Without Limits Initiative, Disability Blog, April 01, 2011
Ready to Choose Work? You May Already Have a Ticket, By Dan O’Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration, March 18, 2011
The Pleasures and Perils of Working from Home: Is Telework for You?, By Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D., Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services and Member of the Work Without Limits Initiative, Disability.gov Career Connection Series, February 18, 2011
Sheltered Workshops No Better Than Institutions, Report Finds, By Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop, January 19, 2011
More Workers Complain of Bias on the Job, a Trend Linked to Widespread Layoffs, By Catherine Rampell, New York Times, January 11, 2011
Job Prospects Fall Short For Americans With Disabilities, By Shaun Heasley, Disability Scoop, November 05, 2010
Presidential Proclamation - National Disability Employment Awareness Month, From the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, October 01, 2010
US Labor Department awards more than $21 million in Disability Employment Initiative cooperative agreements to 9 states, From the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, September 29, 2010
Disabled Face Sharply Higher Jobless Rate, By Sara Murray, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2010
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
The goal of ABILITYjobs/ABILITYresume 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.
The ADA National Network is a national network of 10 regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC) that provide the most complete and experienced services for up-to-date information, referrals, resources, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to businesses, employers, government entities, and individuals with disabilities.
Disability.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others. This section of Disability.gov covers a variety of topics related to employment of people with disabilities: advice for individuals with disabilities seeking work; help for employers looking for hard-working and dedicated employees; information on employment rights, laws and regulations; resources for employment programs and job accommodations for people with disabilities.
Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor — This Advisor is designed to help employers determine which federal disability nondiscrimination laws apply to their business or organization. The Advisor also helps recipients of federal financial assistance understand their responsibilities under these laws.
Employment1st.org - Across Kansas, there are many people trapped by attitudes toward their physical and mental disabilities, attitudes that deem them unemployable. The Employment1st.org website shows how wrong those attitudes are. In a series of stories, you will find information of interest to employers, to families and supporters, and to people with disabilities about how employment success is achieved.
The Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) provides federal and private employers with free consulting services and resources to support the recruitment, hiring, and retention of people with disabilities. EARN connects employers with national networks of available job seekers through relationships with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), and the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). In addition to providing these linkages, EARN also provides high quality up-to-date online information and technical assistance to promote the inclusion of employees with disabilities in the workplace.
Envision is a private, not-for-profit agency uniquely combining employment opportunities with rehabilitation services and public education. Our Mission To enhance the personal independence of individuals whose blindness or low vision, often accompanied by other disabilities, impacts their opportunities for employment, success, and integration into community life.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal civil rights laws dealing with employment and provides oversight and coordination of all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies.
The Job Accommodation Network or JAN, is a free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions, providing technical assistance regarding the ADA and other disability related legislation, and educating callers about self-employment options.
JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) system is designed to let users explore various accommodation options for people with disabilities in work and educational settings. These accommodation ideas are not all inclusive. If you do not find answers to your questions, please contact JAN directly. The staff of experienced consultants is happy to discuss specific accommodation needs in a confidential manner.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program's Website is dedicated to providing information about veteran benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service to veterans, employers, and the general public.
The Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program is designed to assess, plan, develop and provide VR services to eligible individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice. By providing services in this way, the VR program enables individuals with disabilities to prepare for and engage in gainful employment.
Ticket to Work is a voluntary program offered by the Social Security Administration that helps people with disabilities who want to work by providing them with free support services. While you explore your work options or go back to school, the Ticket Program and special rules, called Work Incentives, help you stay in control of your healthcare and cash benefits. You can select any approved service provider, called an Employment Network (EN), to help you. Once you choose an EN, together you develop an individualized plan that spells out how the EN will help you meet your employment goals. Or you can work with the local State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency.
Kansas Working Healthy Program - Many people with disabilities want to work but worry that doing so could jeopardize their vital health and long term care coverage. Working Healthy offers Kansans with disabilities who are working or interested in working the opportunity to get or keep Medicaid coverage while on the job.
Think College! College Options for People with Intellectual Disabilities - Doors to colleges are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways all over the country. This website is designed to share what is currently going on, provide resources and strategies, let you know about training events, and give you ways to talk to others. The information is for transition aged students as well as adults attending or planning for college. It provides resources and tools for students, families, and professionals.
Publications
A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment. A 2-page pamphlet for people with disabilities providing a general explanation of the employment provisions of the ADA and how to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Spanish edition available from the ADA Information Line). Employment (HTML) | Employment (PDF)
Employers’ Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This publication from the U.S. Department of Labor's Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a summary of some of the most frequent issues that employers have regarding accommodations and ADA compliance and JAN’s practical ideas for resolving them.
Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees & Employers, This new toolkit, from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), helps employers and employees understand the return-to-work process. It provides resources to help get employees who experience an illness or injury back on the job quickly and smoothly. The employee toolkit includes information about job accommodations, preparing for a job interview, resume writing, self-employment and employment-related laws. The employer toolkit has information about strategies such as offering the opportunity to work part-time, telecommuting, modifying work duties or schedules, as well as resources that can help employers retain the talents of older workers.
Segregated & Exploited: The Failure of the Disability Service System to Provide Quality Work, January 2011 - This National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) report identifies the barriers to employment that people with disabilities face and dispels myths about their capability to be fully employed, equally compensated, and an integral member of American workplaces and communities. It illustrates a systemic failure to provide hope and opportunity to young people with disabilities who want to transition into traditional work but instead wind up trapped in a sheltered workshop with little chance for something different.