Photo Credit: Pexels. Guest article by Patrick Young (pyoung@ableusa.info)
One of the most satisfying things you can do in life is reach a point where you’re in a career you love that brings in the income you need. For people with disabilities, however, this can sometimes feel like an impossible goal. Although most people with disabilities could easily work in a number of fields, bias, ableism, and poor accessibility often hold them back.
Although we get closer every year to a truly equitable work world, we’re still far behind. Fortunately, technology can help even the playing field, open up opportunities, and give people with disabilities the tools they need to thrive. Here’s a look at some ideas for how to use tech to reach the career you’re dreaming of.
Create a Home-Based Business
Although starting a business can be an intimidating prospect, it’s often a fantastic fit for people with disabilities. When you run your own company, you set your schedule and workload. You can make use of your skills and build up additional strengths, all from the safety and comfort of your own home. Although not all businesses lend themselves to running from home, there are a lot of options that will. For example, you can look into picking up freelance work, such as working as a virtual assistant or offering web design services. You could also sell homemade goods, run a consultancy, work as a drop shipper, and more.
You can run your company solo, but the ever-connected nature of our world means you don’t necessarily have to. Hiring a fully remote team is more possible than ever, and you can easily use online collaboration tools to stay connected with employees. The pandemic has introduced more people than ever before to remote work, and many people would prefer to continue working from home — create opportunities, and you’re sure to find plenty of great candidates.
Working and Studying Remotely
If you’re not interested in running a business, the recent rise in remote options can still work in your favor. Often, basic accessibility is the main issue standing between people with disabilities and the jobs they’d like. If you can work from home, however, you’ll be safer, more comfortable, and have your options open up significantly.
As we said before, however, remote work is an increasingly competitive field. Though more companies are open to work-from-home options, there are still more interested workers than available roles. Consider hiring a resume reviewer to take a look at your application materials and make sure they’ll stand-out to hiring managers so you can “wow” them in an interview.
Assistive Technology
Finally, make sure you’re aware of the different forms of assistive technology that can help make your day-to-day life easier. For example, people with auditory processing problems can benefit from using speech-to-text technology to make meetings or conversations more understandable. This is just one small example of how much tech can do to help people with disabilities bridge the gap and make the workspace more accessible.
If you’re new to your diagnosis, or you haven’t looked into assistive technology in a while, now is the time to reach out to your doctor or occupational therapist. They can point you toward the latest tools available to help you reach your goals. There may be a tech tool out there that makes all the difference for you, so don’t hesitate to reach out and try things to see what works.
Some additional tech you may need if you’re working from home includes an upgraded laptop, a lightweight and comfortable headset, and a webcam for face-to-face online interactions.
Reaching your career goals with a disability may not be easy, but technology can make it far more achievable. With the right plan, plenty of tools, and a touch of luck, you can have the career you’ve always dreamed of.
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