News and Knowledge

Expectations for the adult lives of people with disabilities have changed greatly in a relatively short period of time. Until very recently, the norm for people with disabilities after they finished secondary school was to enter sheltered workshops or other limiting programs. More and more today, however, we see youth with disabilities engaged in curricula that emphasize independence and endless possibilities.

As a parent, how do you translate those endless possibilities into a job and the start of a career for your child? Fortunately, the path for someone with a disability to be successful in her or his career is not much different than our own. A fulfilling career is built on continuing education, understanding the labor market, actively searching for a job, and devising a long–term plan.

Find the Right Continuing Education

If your child is in high school, start by looking into what kind of continuing education – college, trade school, training program – will provide the best foundation for your child’s job/career goals. County agencies (which often administer federal and state initiatives) and private providers are evolving their employment programs for people with disabilities as the need grows. Many now use curricula that build work skills and allow enrollees to get experience in their communities in preparation for landing a job. Volunteering, paid internships, and personalized service all enable individuals to learn about and sample different types of work while experiencing real world expectations.

Understand the Labor Market

Many employers are seeing the value of hiring people with disabilities. However, while companies are open to reasonable accommodations, the onus is still on caregivers and adult service providers to ensure an applicant is truly prepared to meet employer expectations.

The best way to begin this process is to understand and focus on the skills and interests of each job seeker. Most people thrive in jobs that play to their interests. It is critical to explore interests before, during, and after high school to see which types of employment would be the best fit.

Do not get hung up on “traditional” jobs for people with disabilities. Many goals and careers that seem out of reach can be broken down into smaller, more attainable employment goals. These smaller benchmarks can serve as stepping stones to the larger goal or can expose the individual to other jobs that may be of interest.

It is vital that the individual be part of creating her or his own goals, and held accountable for working towards them. The sooner you start this process, the easier it will be for your child to transition to a world where he or she is held to the same expectations on the job as non-disabled counterparts.

Actively Search for the First Job

First, if you have access to a job developer through a county agency or other provider, make use of that person. But don’t depend solely on the job developer to help your child find a job. Actively searching for a job exponentially increases the chances of your child finding gainful employment. Use these steps to get started:

Step 1: Perform a personal inventory of friends, family members, and business associates who might help you and your child gain access to an employer. These people do not need to be best friends or the CEO of a company. They just need to be someone you are comfortable talking with who could possibly help your child get eyes on his or her resume. Most people are amazed at how many names they can come up with after five minutes of brainstorming. Imagine how many connections you can pull together if you ask your close family members and friends to do the same.

Step 2: Make use of the “usual” channels (e.g., the Internet, newspapers, “help wanted” signs) to search for jobs. Many larger businesses only accept applications online so having a personal connection can help your child get past the screening procedures. It’s easier to make a personal connection in a smaller business, but there aren’t as many job opportunities in smaller businesses.

Step 3: Cross-reference the list of possible workplaces with your job seeker’s interests and skill sets. Remember not to be too limiting. As an entry-level worker, your child needs to break into the labor market. Most of the time, a first job is not a job seeker’s dream job but an opportunity to make money, learn new skills, and build a resume.

Step 4: Create a resume that speaks to the needs of employers. Recent high school graduates generally will not have the work experience to fill the page. If this is the case for your child, focus on education, accomplishments in school and the community, and the unique attributes your job seeker brings to the position.

Attendance, punctuality, and positive attitude are among any employer’s biggest priorities (especially when it comes to entry-level hires). Assuming your child has these attributes, highlight them and any other work skills your child has. Include a small narrative explaining the candidate’s dedication to the job search and commitment to quality results.

Don’t think of this as a resume. Think of it as marketing material for your job seeker that answers every employer’s question: “Why should I hire you over another applicant?”

Step 5: Prepare for interviews. Your job seeker should be prepared for the interview and practice beforehand. Depending on your child’s experience, disability, and confidence level, you may want to find out if you can sit in on an interview. This will help alleviate anxiety and ensure that you can help fill in the blanks if your job seeker forgets to relay any valuable piece of information. It also helps to show that your child has support and reaffirms for the employer that this opportunity is not being taken for granted. When you think about it, it’s almost like an introduction for an employer to how job coaching works: onsite support that isn’t overbearing or doing the work for the individual.

Develop a Long-Term Plan

After becoming employed, many people, disabled or not, don’t understand that a career is a winding pathway. We often focus on the destination and become impatient. Developing a long-term career plan helps ensure that the job seeker doesn’t become frustrated or stagnate. This starts by understanding that finding the first job can be a lengthy process. Make sure your child understands that immediate success is not likely; we often find the “best fit” only after extensive searching.

No matter how good the initial fit, though, it is important to continually develop new goals. Even if someone truly loves the job she or he is in, there are always ways to improve upon one’s knowledge base and quality of life, to keep reaching for that next brass ring.

Preparing for life after high school is certainly a challenge, but one that doesn’t have to be daunting or scary if taken in pieces and started as soon as possible. The key is to understand the barriers your son or daughter faces, while not accepting that those barriers are permanent or can’t be reduced to a more manageable size. Many people with significant challenges have gone on to successfully work in the community, because they have a structure in place and goals to achieve.

Jason Weppelman currently serves as the manager of workforce development for Koinonia (Independence, Ohio) and has been a nonprofit leader for over a decade. Prior posts include president/CEO of the Permian Basin Better Business Bureau and senior analyst for Charter One Bank. This experience has allowed him and his team to lead the way in hiring people with disabilities. Over a few years, he has helped place numerous individuals in jobs, internships, and volunteer positions with local employers.