Chat with us on finding a job with a disability
by Beth
I’ll tell you a dirty little secret: it takes me longer than my sighted peers to get my work done.
I’m not supposed to admit this. Thing is, 70% of people who are blind – like me — are unemployed. The unemployment rate among people who have disabilities is equally appalling, and most of us would like to work. So we’re supposed to say we’re just like everyone else. You know, so employers won’t be afraid to hire us.
But truth is, we’re not like everyone else. Braille takes longer to read than print. Searching a web site by ear with a talking computer takes up more time than using the screen. Cutting and pasting can be slower with a talking computer, too. And so, I wake up early, put extra time in, go the extra mile. And I’m not alone. If you have a disability, and you have a job, you have to be resourceful.
Ben Trockman
Join our Facebook chat tomorrow to learn what it takes to find a job when you have a disability, and get some valuable insight on the difficulties that arise when young people with disabilities begin to enter the workforce. “Launching Your Career: An Honest Chat about Navigating the Workforce with Disabilities” starts tomorrow, Tuesday, October 7 at 2 p.m. (EST), and you can join in on the conversation at Facebook.com/easterseals.
A team of panelists selected by Easter Seals are prepared to offer wisdom, advice and their personal experiences finding a job:
- Sara Fair, a college senior who interned with Easter Seals over the summer and is beginning to job-search
- Ben Trockman, a college graduate who interned with Easter Seals over the summer and started a job this fall
- Colleen Flanagan, a working professional with disabilities who has been through it all and now mentors others as a leader of the youth program at Easter Seals Massachusetts
- Patrick Cokley, a Policy Advisor at the Office of Disability Employment Policy, an agency within the Department of Labor that aims to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Our Facebook chat is open to questions from the audience, so please join in and ask away!
*Prepare for the chat with Claudia Gordon’s 3 tips for launching a career when you have a disability, and offer your comments and ideas below!
October 8th, 2014 at 7:24 am
Ill been disable for 8 years doctor said I can go back to work I like to work with others that I can be a help too I don’t know how to fill out apps on the computers 585-729-7480 585-451-7227 Thank you Please call me
October 7th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
This event was great, and I’d encourage anyone to check out all of the questions, answers and comments on Facebook.com/EasterSeals anytime this week for support with your job search!
October 6th, 2014 at 6:15 am
I am 46 all most 47and I have never been able to hold down a jib to support my kids or my self that can live on my disability is you heard of dislexa well I have all the Dislex that there is didn’t know until I was 22 so I have stuffed my whole life