Employment

Looking for Work: Resources and Tips for Disabled Individuals

No matter what country in the world you live in, disability is a huge concern that impact heavily on a large proportion of society. Take the UK, for example, where there are an estimated 11.9 million disabled people (which equates to roughly 19% of the population as a whole). Interestingly, the prevalence of disability rise with age, with just 5% of this number estimated to be children. This creates something of a social issue, as adults with physical or mental disabilities can occasionally struggle to find employment or individual work roles that suit them.

This can have a huge impact on the quality of life, as the inability to work or understand the guidelines that protect sufferers prevents individuals' from achieving their full professional potential. This can also reduce the level of talent that is available throughout multiple industries, as people with considerable skill and dexterity take themselves out of the labor market. There are ways in which this can be overcome, but only if disabled individuals adopt a proactive approach to driving their career.

disability-224130_640

Tips and Resources for Disabled Candidates for Work

With this in mind, let's consider some tips and resources that disabled candidates for work can consider when pursuing a career. These include:-

Become an Independent and Confident Individual

Confidence is a mind-set that must be cultivated over time, and it can start with several small steps. Those with a sense of independence tend to be more confident in situations where they must function independently, and this is especially true for those with a physical or mental disability. To develop this, one of the best steps is to learn to drive, as this will equip a life skill that affords you freedom and choice. It also has practical benefits when seeking work, as you do not need to restrict your search on geographical reasoning. If you can already drive, consider investing in a modified car or disability vehicle that will enable you to travel safely and responsibly.

Understand Disability Guidelines and your Rights as a Worker

Another issue is perception, as those with a disability may believe that they are likely to face oppression from employers. This demographic is protected by public schemes and legislation, however, which offers guidelines for employers to follow and forces them to uphold the virtues of equality. In the UK, this scheme is known as the ‘Access to Work' initiative, which is driven by the government and implemented by individual job centers. This scheme offers practical advice to those with a disability who are looking for work, while also providing funding to cover expenses and the individual costs of attending a job on a daily basis. You can find out more about this through the Allied Mobility website.

Seek work that suits your Abilities

Perception can also be altered by experience, and if you have failed in previous interviews you may well come to believe that your disability is an influencing factor in this. This is unlikely to be the case, however, although it is important that you respect the nature of your disability and accept any physical or mental limitation that it brings. It is an unfortunate fact that some disabilities will prevent you from undertaking specific job roles, and recognizing this will limit the amount of failed applications that you encounter. Instead, use this knowledge as a foundation for your job search before focusing on opportunities that suit your experience, skill-set and long-term career aspirations.

If you have any questions, please ask below!