Introduction

The employment of persons with disabilities is a very broad and diverse field. Even though there are some common themes in this field such as workplace accommodations, barriers to employment and disclosure, the employment of persons with disabilities is unique. It is most important to remember that persons with disabilities are people first and their differences must be valued by those who assist them to enter the labour market. Each person with a disability will face their own specific set of challenges and the challenges faced by one, may or may not necessarily be the same challenges faced by another person with a similar disability. Even though persons with disabilities have obstacles to overcome in their job search, it is important to remember they also have skills, knowledge and abilities required to find and maintain meaningful employment.

Job seekers with disabilities may use a variety of methods to overcome any challenges they may face. Some may utilize the programs and services of community-based organizations which assist persons with disabilities attain employment. These organizations may provide information on job search techniques, career development, resume and cover letter writing and interview preparation. Staff at these organizations may also be able to provide job seekers with disabilities information on related programs and services offered by other organizations and government departments.

Many, but not all, persons with disabilities will use adaptive equipment to overcome barriers in the workplace. While there are many types of adaptive equipment available, some of the more common include one-handed keyboards for persons who have the use of only one arm, screen magnification software for those with a visual impairment and a telephone amplification device for persons with a hearing impairment.

The following article is written by a job seeker with a physical disability and outlines some of the issues he has encountered during his education and job search. It is important to remember that the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, and the methods used to overcome those challenges, are as unique as the individuals themselves.

Chris Moyse, Employment Counsellor
Employment Equity and Strategic Initiatives Division, St. John’s NL
cmoyse@gov.nl.ca

Gaining Meaningful Employment: A Job Seeker’s Perspective

By Darryl Osborne 

At face value, establishing a career for yourself would seem pretty straight forward. Finish high school with grades good enough to get you in to a post secondary institution, select a program of study and, upon its conclusion, step into the real world where a career opportunity will be awaiting you. Ah, if it were that easy, there wouldn’t even be a need for this article to be written, but it isn’t that easy and in fact you can automatically increase the difficulties of finding that meaningful employment if you are a person with a physical disability. However, it is important to remember that increased difficulty does not make the achievement of meaningful employment or your desired career impossible. It simply means that a person with a physical disability will need to take additional steps to secure their future. The intention of this article is to identify certain challenges faced by people who have physical disabilities, reflect on my own experiences as member of the physically disabled community and offer insight based on my own experiences that could help others overcome their difficulties as they pursue a career.

Even before reaching legal age for paid employment there are things that can be done to assist in a person’s career development. First, give consideration to approaching a guidance counsellor and take a career aptitude test. This is a series of questions that will help identify areas of interest and skill that a person has. Also, if the opportunity is there to enroll in a high school cooperative education program, definitely give serious consideration to doing that. Regardless of where a person does a work term or what duties they have, the result of this non-paid position will benefit anyone. If you think you would love a career in a particular field and the experience is a positive one, you know you are going in the right personal direction, but even if you find that it doesn’t work out as you would like, that can provide valuable information as well. Even if you don’t have a career in mind at the time of the work term, the experience may open your eyes to an area of employment you wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Plus, you should never underestimate the possible significance of making personal contact with established members of the business community. My experience as a cooperative education student was an extremely positive one. Not only was I able to learn the procedures required to run a successful radio station, but my desire to excel in this field of work was confirmed. In fact, many of the personal connections I made during that non-paid work term were instrumental in my obtaining future employment with the same company upon completion of my university degree.

Whether you are in high school, or a post secondary institution, volunteer experiences can have an extremely positive impact on your development as an individual and thus as a potential candidate for meaningful employment. By giving freely of your time and energy you will be exposed to experiences and work environments which you may never otherwise have the opportunity to be a part of. You will be able to meet and perhaps impress new and possibly influential people who may later prove to be a valuable contact person as you proceed toward your career. That is why you should get involved in as many extra curricular activities as you can successfully balance. Of course, it is important to remember these activities are meant to complement the main purpose of attending a post secondary institution, and that is to pursue an education and an accreditation that will assist you in your career endeavours. Take the time to research the qualifications required to obtain the career or even specific position you desire and dedicate the time and energy to acquire those academic qualifications. In addition, take advantage of the fact that there are qualified professionals available to you who are already in that field you wish to enter. Communicate with some of these people when and where possible. The information or suggestions they may offer could prove to be a valuable asset.

When you are a person with a physical disability, you will face some additional challenges associated with working and establishing your career. The challenges faced by an individual with a physical disability can be as diverse and unique as the person themselves. Therefore, it is impossible to address all issues that could arise. Instead, I will focus on the areas that are often common among people living with various physical disabilities – disclosure and the use of workplace accommodations to assist a person in fulfilling the duties of a particular job or career opportunity.

It is important for people to be aware they are not legally obligated to disclose the fact that they have a disability to a potential employer prior to meeting with them. Although it is the choice of the individual to disclose or not to disclose, my personal view on this debate, is that if you are a person who’s physical disability is visibly obvious (as mine is) you should not be afraid to disclose it before the obvious is revealed. Personally, I feel this provides you with the advantage of nullifying many negative perceptions or uncertainties. When you point out the specifics of your situation, you then have the opportunity to put a positive spin on the situation by identifying possible solutions. For example, if you are a person who because of your disability can not operate a standard computer keyboard at the same speed as many of your able-bodied counterparts, voice activated software could be a good solution to solving the potential problem.

Workplace accommodations have the potential of making the difference between a person with a physical disability working or not working. Once again workplace accommodations will vary depending on the nature and severity of one’s disability. Sometimes potential employers may not be aware of the many types of accommodations available or how to access them. Therefore, it is important for the person seeking the available position to be aware of his or her own limitations and what workplace accommodations may assist them in better performing the required duties of the position. Being able to explain what accommodations are available and how they work may ease the concerns of the potential employer. Other ways a person with a disability can overcome employment related difficulties include researching and availing of any services provided specifically to address their needs and concerns as they pursue a career.

Once again, it is an unavoidable fact that people with physical disabilities will face additional challenges when looking to obtain meaningful employment and establish their careers. As a result of the diversity and individuality of these challenges it was impossible to have touched on all of them. I hope that by identifying some of the broader challenges and reflecting on my own experiences as member of the physically disabled community, I have provided some beneficial information regarding the challenges faced by physically disabled people looking for meaningful employment and ways to overcome those challenges.

Darryl Osborne graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. His long term goal is a career in Journalism or Broadcasting. He has been involved in the media communications field for more than 10 years. Darryl has Cerebral Palsy. He can be reached at dmo@mail.com.