Identity-Based Resources: Disabled Individuals

Disabled Individuals                              

[Return to main menu: acac.humboldt.edu/students/identity-based-resources]

As a disabled person, your identities and skills bring strength and unique experiences into a workplace environment. However, structural inequities and implicit bias present challenges for disabled people throughout their careers.

When entering the workplace, it is important to have awareness of, and strategies to deal with, the following:

  • How to deal with unconscious bias and stereotyping (implicit bias) throughout your career journey;
  • Communicating about and requesting accommodations in the workplace;
  • Disclosing an unseen disability;
  • Navigating the workplace as the only or part of a small group of individuals with disabilities;
  • Feeling the need to alter the way one expresses themself.

​Career Advisors will provide individualized support to help identify and explore your career interests, values, and goals. Please reach out to acac@humboldt.edu to book an appointment. 

There is also offered multiple workshops and groups at CAPS. For more information please go to Campus Student Support Services.

Should I disclose my disability in a resume or interview?

Knowing your rights and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) still leaves the tricky question of not knowing when, how or whether to let an employer know about your disability. Will it help or hinder?

Disclosing is a personal decision only you can make. If you know that an employer is specifically recruiting individuals with disabilities (for example, the Workforce Recruitment Program), it makes sense to disclose up front. If you’re not sure, you can wait until after you have a job offer (and no, that’s not lying). The real bottom line is to make sure you are qualified for the essential functions of the job.

No matter which route you choose, schedule an appointment with an ACAC career advisor and/or an advisor at the Student Disability Resource Center on campus to:

Illegal Interview Questions

Did you know that it is against the law for employers to ask you certain questions in a job interview? Any question that asks about race, religion, ability, gender, age, pregnancy status, citizenship, marital status or number of children is illegal for employers to ask. However, employers may still ask these questions. 

How do I respond to illegal questions?

  1. Gracefully steer the conversation elsewhere.
  2. Keep your answers short, broad and general.
  3. Redirect a question to your interviewer.
  4. Reenforce to the employer that you have the skills and abilities required for the position.

if you experience discrimination once you have started a job, here are some tips and information about dealing with employment discrimination.

Resources

Resources for Specific Disabilities 

Resources for Autistic People

  • The Spectrum Careers -  Connects employers to individuals with autism throughout the United States

  • SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing) - Autism at Work: Encouraging Neurodiversity in the Workplace

  • Ford - Our FordWorks program focuses on assisting individuals with autism. At nearly 90% unemployment, it’s the most underrepresented community. 

  • Top 10 Autism Friendly Employer 

Resources for Sight-related Disabilities

  • National Industries for the Blind - Works to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and improving employment.

  • American Foundation for the Blind - AFB provides a list of visually impaired and blind mentors that students can connect with depending on the career interests. Students can also explore careers through this site and receive tips on the career search

Resources for Hearing Disabilities

  • Gallaudet University - This is a list of organizations of and for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. All of the organizations are national and non-profit and provide information on people who are deaf and hard of hearing and/or specific professional or consumer areas of interest.

  • National Association of the Deaf - The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America.

Resources for Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

  • Delivering Jobs: Home - Creating pathways to employment and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and/or developmental differences

Resources for Mental Health Disabilities

Resources for Physical Disabilities

  • Disability Job Exchange: Jobs for People with Disabilities - At Disability Job Exchange, we are committed to finding the perfect match between dedicated workers and employers looking to build a strong workforce. 

  • Disability Job Boards - Apply today for a great opportunity to work for a company that is committed to hiring individuals with disabilities.

  • NTI@Home - Our mission is to train and assist people with disabilities and those who care for them to get work-from-home call center jobs.

Resources for Disabled Veterans

General Disability Resources

Below, we’ve collected job search boards, professional associations, blogs and other resources that might be useful. 

  • Standout is another resource available for interview practice.

  • California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) - Job resources to help job seekers find and apply for federal, state, and private sector jobs.

  • Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities - Students with disabilities may feel wary about searching for employment opportunities and whether or not to disclose a disability when applying for work, but today’s job market is vast and accommodates people with a wide range of skills, interests, talents, goals and abilities. 

  • RecruitDisability job Board  -  Our million member strong, self-serve model is available for your independent use as a job seeker with a disability, an agency providing services, or a hiring manager looking to hire Americans with disabilities.

  • AbilityJOBS - A career website dedicated to employment of people with disabilities. Host of the largest resume bank with tens of thousands of job seekers with disabilities, from entry level candidates to PhD.

  • AbilityLinks - A web-based program that connects a dynamic talent pool of self-identified applicants with disabilities to a network of employers that value disability inclusion.

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science – Entry Point - Identifies and recruits students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities studying in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business for internship and co-op opportunities.

  • Federal Jobs Net - Helps disabled individuals and veterans find federal government employment. The site is also a good resource for hiring options and information.

  • GettingHired - Provides job opportunities and resources to students with disabilities. Their job portal features more than 100,000 active listings for positions spanning from architects to x-ray techs.

  • National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center - A network of non-profit organizations that serves as a hub for leading edge approaches to education and employment and proactive efforts that aim to shape and influence policy changes that will benefit the people it serves.

  • The American Association of People with Disabilities  - This organization provides a Congressional Internship Program for college students with disabilities. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to recent graduates. Applications are due in February.

  • Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) - WRP connects undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities who are interested in paid internships 

and full-time opportunities to private sector employers and federal agencies. 

Local Humboldt Disability Resources