EARN provides services to support employers in the employment of individuals with disabilities. We recommend that jobseekers with disabilities access the resources below.
Employment Assistance for People with Disabilities
The following organizations offer assistance to jobseekers with disabilities. Click on the service locator links below to find assistance in your area.
American Job Centers
American Job Centers assist job seekers with and without disabilities in finding employment through job banks, publications, and other resources. They provide job search assistance, access to computers, and help with resume development. Formerly known as “One Stop Career Centers”, American Job Centers often have staff onsite called ‘Disability Program Navigators’ (DPN) who can help people with disabilities locate services and supports. DPN’s can also provide information on the effect earned income might have on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicaid benefits.
Click on the link below to access the American Job Center’s Service Locator. Simply enter your zip code to find the addresses and phone numbers of job centers in your area.
Vocational Rehabilitation Organizations
Vocational rehabilitation (VR) organizations provide support to individuals with disabilities who are interested in working. They can provide assistance with career exploration and resume development, as well as finding, training for, and keeping a job.
Use the link below to find the contact information for your state department of vocational rehabilitation. You should explain that you are a jobseeker with a disability looking for employment support and they will refer you to an office in your area. Be aware that each state has its own eligibility requirements for receiving employment supports and services.
Locate Vocational Rehabilitation Offices
Ticket to Work (TTW)
The goal of the Ticket to Work Program is to help Social Security beneficiaries’ with disabilities transition to financial independence through employment, while maintaining health coverage. Jobseekers can “assign their tickets” to a designated Employment Network in their area for assistance and support. For more information, visit the Ticket to Work website or call the Ticket Call Center at 1-866-968-7842 and 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD).
Click to conduct your own search of the Employment Network/TTW Directory (search by zip, city, or state).
Independent Living Centers
Independent Living Centers (ILCs) are agencies that help individuals with disabilities maintain independence by providing job coaching, training, and information on disability in the workplace. ILCs may also have information on employers in your geographic area who actively recruit people with disabilities. ILC’s can also provide information and referral to other support services and agencies in your area.
Locate the ILC nearest to you
Federal Employment (Schedule A)
Schedule A is a non-competitive hiring process, meaning that people with qualifying disabilities are distinguished from the general applicant pool and given preferential hiring status. According to the 2010 Executive Order, federal agencies are required to increase the hiring of people with disabilities. For more information, check out The ABCs of Schedule A.
Once you have obtained all the necessary documentation, contact the Selective Placement Program Coordinator at the agency for which you would like to work. You will apply for the position through the Selective Placement Program Coordinator, as opposed to the standard application process.
Online Job Posting Boards for People with Disabilities
There are many organizations that maintain job boards for people with disabilities. These sites usually contain information on career guidance, resume development, and other employment supports. Jobseekers can browse job postings and upload resumes. EARN recommends the following sites:
There are also a growing number of online job boards for veterans with disabilities:
- Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans
- Vet Success
- Veterans Job Bank
- Recruit Military
- VetNet
- Helmets to Hardhats
- Veterans Enterprise
- Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN)
- Honor Guard Network
- Hero 2 Hired
Programs for College Students with Disabilities
The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP): The WRP connects college students with disabilities to employers for internships and permanent employment. Contact your school coordinator to get involved.
Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD): This national professional association is comprised of over 600 colleges and universities and over 500 major national employers whose mission is to improve the employment rate of college students and recent graduates with disabilities.
Learn more about opportunities for college students with disabilities on EARN’s Internships Page
Additional Online Resources
ADA National Network: Regional ADA Centers provide information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act. They can assist job seekers in identifying information to assist them with their job search. They can also assist individuals with disabilities in understanding their employment process rights and responsibilities under the ADA.
JobTIPS: JobTIPS is a free program designed to help individuals with disabilities, such as autism, explore career interests, seek and obtain employment, and successfully maintain employment. JobTIPS addresses the social and behavioral differences that might make identifying, obtaining, and keeping a job more difficult for an individual with a disability.
mySkills myFuture: This U.S. Department of Labor website helps laid-off workers and other career changers find new occupations to explore. Users can identify occupations that require skills and knowledge similar to their current or previous job, learn more about these suggested matches, locate local training programs, and/or apply for jobs.
Call to Serve: A joint initiative between the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Call to Serve, is dedicated to helping individuals learn more about careers in the federal government. To date, more than 642 campuses and 75 federal agencies have joined together to form the Call to Serve network.
Microsoft IT Academy: disABLEDperson, Inc. operates the Microsoft IT Academy and provides free access to hundreds of online training programs for job seekers with disabilities. If this is of interest to you, we suggest you contact disABLEDperson via email or phone to get more information or access to the training. This can be an opportunity to upgrade IT skills and enhance employability. Job seekers with disabilities can also post resumes on disABLEDPerson’s website www.disABLEDperson.com.
AbilityOne Programs: Ability One Programs offer employment assistance to people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. Visit their website for a map and list of nonprofit agencies that are authorized to assist job seekers and veterans with disabilities under this program.
My Employment Options: My Employment options is an Certified Employment Network as designated by the Social Security Administration Ticket to Work Program. They provide supports and services to jobseekers with disabilities who are looking for at-home employment opportunities.
Additional Online Resources for Disabled Veterans
Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Coordinator: The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a variety of support services for veterans with disabilities. For general information about these services, contact your local veterans office using their directory.
Employment: National Resource Directory: The National Resource Directory is a website that connects wounded warriors, service members, veterans, and their families with those who support them. It offers access to services at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.
DisABLEDperson, Inc. – Microsoft IT Academy for Wounded Warriors: This program offered by disABLEDperson, Inc. offers wounded warriors the opportunity to gain marketable job skills through the Microsoft IT Academy Program of eLearning for Wounded Warriors.
AMVETS: The official website for American Veterans assists veterans and sponsors numerous programs.
Compensated Work Therapy: Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) is a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) vocational rehabilitation program that endeavors to match and support work-ready veterans in competitive jobs, and to consult with business and industry regarding their specific employment needs. In some locations CWT is also known as Veterans Industries.
Operation Warfighter: Operation Warfighter (OWF) is a temporary assignment/internship program, developed by the Department of Defense, for service members that are convalescing at military treatment facilities in the National Capitol Region and increasingly throughout the United States. The program provides recuperating service members with meaningful activity outside of the hospital environment and offers a formal means of transition back to the military or civilian workforce.
Paralyzed Veterans of America: Through a broad range of services and experts, Paralyzed Veterans of America works to positively change lives and build brighter futures for veterans with disabilities and their families.
Wounded Warriors: This non-profit organization strives to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured services members.
Department of Labor “Gold Card” Initiative: The Gold Card provides unemployed post-9/11 era veterans with the intensive and follow-up services they need to succeed in today’s job market. An eligible veteran can present the Gold Card at his/her local American Job Center to receive enhanced intensive services including up to six months of follow-up services.
Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN): MSCCN has dedicated itself to the job-placement and training of military personnel and spouses. They provide employment readiness training programs, job placement solutions, and no-cost services to all military-affiliated spouses, retired military spouses and caregivers to war-wounded heroes.
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP): Through YRRP events, service members and loved ones connect with local resources before, during, and after deployments.
O*Net Crosswalk Search: O* Net provides tools to help service members understand how they can translate military skills to civilian career skills, and find the civilian equivalent of military jobs using a unique “crosswalk” feature.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR): ESGR informs and educates service members and their civilian employers regarding their rights and responsibilities governed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). ESGR does not enforce USERRA, but serves as a neutral, free resource for employers and service members.
Other Resources
A How-to Guide on Job Searching With a Disability<http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2013/02/28/a-how-to-guide-on-job-searching-with-a-disability>
This U.S. News article provides information for jobseekers with disabilities on how to navigate applying for positions, interviewing and understanding employment civil rights.
Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)<http://www.hercjobs.org>
The Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) is committed to helping jobseekers with disabilities find employment at colleges, universities, teaching hospitals, labs, government agencies, and associated employers. Visit the site today to search over 17,000 jobs at over 600 employers. From Accountants to Zoologists, and everything in between, HERC employers have a vast range of job opportunities.
HERC and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) formed an alliance to promote employment of people with disabilities in the higher education community.
WISE Webinars<http://www.choosework.net/wise/>
WISE webinars are online, accessible events held to inform disability beneficiaries about the Ticket to Work Program and available Work Incentives.
The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities<http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure#download>
This guide is designed for youth and adults working with them to learn about disability disclosure. This workbook helps young people make informed decisions about whether or not to disclose their disability and understand how that decision may impact their education, employment, and social lives. Based on the premise that disclosure is a very personal decision, the Workbook helps young people think about and practice disclosing their disability.
