Tools, Tech, and Tips for Job Hunting as a Person With a Disability
Looking for a job is a huge undertaking for everyone. For those of us with a disability, it can be even more so. Although our differences don’t make us less effective at many jobs, there are a few barriers to entry that we may have to learn to overcome. The Job Hunter blog takes a quick look at a few of the tools and technologies that can make earning a living as a person with a disability an easier undertaking.
Remote Learning
One of the greatest advancements of today for people with disabilities is the ability to receive a formal education without having to navigate a large college campus. If you are looking for a job in healthcare or healthcare administration, you can earn your degree online from an accredited institution. Not only will this help you find a job in the dental or medical office of your choice, you can also go to school in an environment that is most comfortable to you.
Online Job Hunting
Just like learning online has changed the way we educate ourselves, so too has the advent of online job boards. Whether you want to work as a freelancer or scout other professional opportunities, there are plenty of websites available for that. If you’re looking to get into the dental field, as a hygienist, office worker, or dentist, Doc Hunters has plenty of job openings to scout. Another option is to look at job websites that are geared specifically for job seekers with disabilities. These include Disability Job Exchange and disABLEDperson.
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
If working for someone else doesn’t fit your idea of the ideal employment situation, there are still plenty of opportunities to earn an income as an entrepreneur. According to Kabbage, starting a business as a person with a disability removes income limitations and potentially unfair and discriminatory issues relating to traditional employment. There are many different types of business you can start, but, for people with disabilities, a home-based business may be the best option.
As a person with a disability, you may have access to special financing. You may also qualify for loans through the Small Business Administration, the USDA, or through other lending programs that can help you obtain assistive technologies. Further, if you’re a disabled veteran, you may qualify for veteran-specific business loans up to $350,000 through some lenders.
Jobs for disabled workers
Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t thrive in your career choice. Here are a few options:
● Dental hygienist. Being a dental hygienist does require a lot of physical movements. However, it is entirely possible to work in a dental office, even if you are in a wheelchair, as long as you have a steady hand.
● Event planner. Being an event planner, you can help people plan weddings, family reunions, and other large gatherings from anywhere in the world.
● Auto detailing. If you have PTSD, anxiety, depression, or other debilitating mental illness, working as or opening your own mobile auto detailing shop may be a smart move. You get to work outside doing something satisfying that is often cathartic.
● Accessible services. When you have a disability, you are in a unique position to understand other people’s needs. You can turn your experiences into a service catering to others in a similar circumstance. For example, you might offer ridesharing services for people in wheelchairs.
As a person with a disability, you have many options. Whether you want to pursue a traditional career and the education required for it, want to freelance, or have entrepreneurship on the brain, there is nothing holding you back. Today, technology exists that makes many of the limitations our grandparents experienced a thing of the past.