IT Employment·20,060 discussions

Disabled and working? How did you find work?

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I’m asked this a lot as a result of another thread. So I thought I’d start one so folks can give ideas on how people with disabilities can find IT jobs, and give an opportunity to see if there are others with disabilities would come forward with their success stories, so maybe others with disabilities may get ideas on how to find good jobs, especially jobs where you can work from home.

Here’s mine:

I have Fibromyalgia. I had another sudden rent increase and had to cut back on some things. I was going to cancel my web hosting where I had a few sites for quite some time. The people there instead offered me some light work which turned into my getting hired as an employee! 🙂 They don’t usually hire many people to I got very lucky! They knew me as a customer for some time and in emails and viewing my sites, they knew I had quite a lot of web design and other knowledge. These people were willing to give me a try.

I think social networking, spreading the word you want to work from home, and showing people what you can do may help land you a job.

Thing is, those who need to work at home (as I do, since I can’t get out to a workplace every day and work full time) – these types of jobs are harder to find. With the job market such that even healthy people with degrees often have a hard time finding work, the disabled with special needs sometimes find it even harder.

I do with that companies would look into this untapped resource instead of outsourcing to other countries. Disabled people often need or want to keep their benefits, so only are allowed to earn a certain amount of money per month. And, there are a lot of tech-savy people with disabilities who can do all kinds of computer and internet related jobs – even from home. I’ve even read of network administrators successfully working from home.

Technology is changing our world, and it is opening doors for those who otherwise would never be able to work. Now if only companies would open up their door and allow a clear passage…

Anyone with success stories or ideas, please post here and share! 🙂

Topic

Well,

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

Most people dont see me as disabled;
I walk, talk, breathe and drink just like everyone else does.

Except I’ve got epilepsy, and that does have a damper on my life. The worst part of it so far is that almost everyone I’ve told wherever I work…they all shrivel back in horror, as if it’s something horrid. (guess they dont expect it on me)

Seizures arent great, don’t get me wrong. They can be a real PITA, having an effect on me for 45 min, remainder of day, then remainder of week (different consequences for a sz).

But I really conquered them back in my late teens/early 20’s. I set a goal: take my meds and see if I can get 1 year no sz. I got 9 months..and had to start counting again. I got to a full year, and started to take driving lessons.
(hadn’t had a drivers lisc. before that..or any driving experience)

And I got a drivers’s licence at the ripe old age of 25.
How did I survive as a working human before that?
I just did. Planned on public txport to work/jobs, lived near bus routes, got up early to catch bus to be on time, things like that.
I also (during those years) had little more than my HS diploma. And I hadnt figured myself out yet.

After I got the liscence I realized; DUH…If I really want to go somewhere I can..I just really have to push myself.

So I went back to college, and finished my AAS degree.

I got a job earlier this year by going directly to the Disability Services Dept. @ the uni and asked: Can YOU hook me up w/ a job /internship directly related to being disabled? The job placement across the hall may not know of anything coming up just for disabled ppl.

They did hook me up w/ an internship program called STEM out of Washington University. All you had to do was find a technically-connected job/internship and it would be PAID FOR. Well, I did.

I called a local ISP about this and said: I just graduated, I’m free meat, I am getting paid, can you use me?
They said Sure, we can use you!

And they did. While I was there, I learned about NOCs, WANS, Network Engineering (oh, fun stuff!) and testing and tweakign and bringing down the network at 3 am when everyoen was on caffeine and pizza grease…fun stories.
I was offered a job there in TECH SUPPORT and I thankfully and gracefully turned it down; the time I’d spent as an intern gave me enough experience to get a job in a Project Support Center – call center for field tech on projects we are installing…its a whole new world unto itself- databases, paperwork, data storage……aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

I have a policy for myself to tell employers within a month of my seizures. The last sz I had was about 5 years ago, but they can still pop up any day. If I stopped my meds tomorrow there is no guarantee I’d be sz free in 3 weeks. So until told to wean, I’m going to be counted as a person with E for a long time.

I tell my employers and co-irkers within a month, and direct them to http://www.efa.org to answer questions.
I still run into old-wives tales of stopping tongue, tacklin the person, chasing demons etc..and it bothers me. So I try and gently remind them that medicine has changed a bit. 🙂

So far, I’ve had one person who was my boss..who had bigtime issues with me having seizures. Well you know what? I”m now working full time for a place I like, and I’m keeping myself educated..are you, Ms. EmployerThatDidntLikeSeizures?

there are programs out there that WANT to hire disabled people.

Try http://www.efa.org
http://www.nbdc.com
http://www.usajobs.gov.opm
state & city job sites
universities & colleges
http://www.benderconsultingservices.com

keep going..they’re out there.

CuteElf

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In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

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Work from home for the Disabled

In reply to TELECOMMUTING ENTREPENEURS- Online Promotional Products

Work at home opportunities are hard enough to find if you are able bodied, but if you are disabled, almost impossible. The J. Lodge Corporation offers great opportunities for work at home for the disabled. They specialize in assisting Americans with disabilities get back into the work force. Earning while on Social Security Disability information can be found at: http://www.yourtickettowork.com/. To apply go to: http://www.jlodge.com/careers. Hope to have you as a co-worker soon!!!!!

Work for the Disabled

In reply to TELECOMMUTING ENTREPENEURS- Online Promotional Products

Work at home opportunities are hard enough to find if you are able bodied, but if you are disabled, almost impossible. The J. Lodge Corporation offers great opportunities for work at home for the disabled. They specialize in assisting Americans with disabilities get back into the work force.

If you need more information on the Ticket to Work Program call: 1-866-968-7842., or online go to: http://www.yourtickettowork.com/.

If after learning about your choices, and want to go to work contact J. Lodge at:: http://www.jlodge.com/careers. Hope to have you as a co-worker soon!!!!!

Hire yourself.

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

I don’t want to get into details. I’ll just say that I have good days and bad days. The bad days might make it difficult to hold a job. Enough said. 🙂

So I started my own business supporting computers in small businesses. I do my work by appointment. When someone calls me I make an appointment to go to their place of business. I can do work on the good days and I can stay home on the bad days. Hey. I’m making a living doing this. 🙂

Disabled and happy to be working from home

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

About 2 yrs ago my life turn completely upside down. I had been a professional reaching for the stars so to speak. Then illness left me with several disabilities that brought my career to a screeching halt. Trying to recover left me without my career and life I once known.

I not only found myself in the midst of an economic downfall, but, newly added personal challenges as I sought employment. I was fortunate to find a source that lead me to a company based in Ft Myers, FL called J.Lodge. They indicated they work with disabled professionals looking to go back to work.

They have jobs from call monitoring to support. I encourage for you to apply @ http://www.jlodge.com/careers it takes about 30-40 mins to fill out the application. I am happy to back working again!!! Feel free to ask me any questions too! Allison

Disabled and Working

In reply to Disabled and happy to be working from home

Work at home opportunities are hard enough to find if you are able bodied, but if you are disabled, almost impossible. The J. Lodge Corporation offers great opportunities for work at home for the disabled. They specialize in assisting Americans with disabilities get back into the work force.

If you need more information on the Ticket to Work Program call: 1-866-968-7842., or online go to: http://www.yourtickettowork.com/.

If after learning about your choices, and want to go to work contact J. Lodge at:: http://www.jlodge.com/careers. Hope to have you as a co-worker soon!!!!!

Work for the disabled

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

Despite the economic forecasts that still show job losses set to climb even higher, there are a few companies that are still experiencing growth. The J. Lodge Corporation, a quality call services company, has sustained profitability since 1999 and accredits its success solely to its unique employee model that consists of disabled business Americans. While other companies are outsourcing their jobs to foreign competitors, J.Lodge is striving to provide part-time careers for individuals who are interested in our company and who qualify for our positions. If anyone is interested please visit: http://www.jlodge.com/careers

I am disabled and have been since August 2000. This is the first job I have been able to find that I can do from home. I found real at home work and you can too? Please go to the website and click on Employment at top and then click on Apply. It?s that simple. Hope to be your co-worker soon!!!!

I have Fibromyalgia.

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

I have fibromyalgia also and I work from home for a company that I would like to share with you. So read this and believe that you too, even being disabled, can be working soon…Work at home opportunities are hard enough to find if you are able bodied, but if you are disabled, almost impossible. The J. Lodge Corporation offers great opportunities for work at home for the disabled. They specialize in assisting Americans with disabilities get back into the work force. Earning while on Social Security Disability information can be found at: http://www.yourtickettowork.com/. To apply go to: http://www.jlodge.com/careers. Hope to have you as a co-worker soon!!!!!

Work for the Disabled

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

A few words from a Ticket to Work Program Participant ?

I have been disabled for over 9 years now. It was hard to live with the fact that I would not go work again. I had a lot of questions. Would my disability payment each month be enough to survive on? Will I ever be productive again? All these things ran through my mind until I was introduced to the Social Security Administration’s, Ticket to Work Program.

The Ticket to Work Program is an employment program for people with disabilities who are interested in going to work. The Program is part of The Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 ? which Legislators designed to remove many of the barriers that previously influenced people?s decisions about going to work because of the concerns over losing health care coverage. The goal of the Ticket to Work Program is to increase opportunities and choices for Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment at companies like J. Lodge, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and other support services from public and private organizations.

Under the Ticket to Work Program, the Social Security Administration provides disability beneficiaries with a Ticket to Work which they may use to obtain the services and jobs they need from a new universe of organizations called Employment Networks. J. Lodge is one of the employment network organizations.

This program really helped change my life. For more information visit http://www.yourtickettowork.com., or call 1-866-968-7842 for more information.

After you have enrolled in the Ticket to Work Program, check on the current employment opportunities at http://www.jlodge.com/careers. J. Lodge Corporation is a company dedicated to the employment of people on the Ticket to Work Program. Their work from home employment positions are tailored to the unique needs of disabled individuals.

At Home Work

In reply to Disabled and working? How did you find work?

Work at home opportunities are hard enough to find if you are able bodied, but if you are disabled, almost impossible. The J. Lodge Corporation offers great opportunities for work at home for the disabled. They specialize in assisting Americans with disabilities get back into the work force.

If you need more information on the Ticket to Work Program call: 1-866-968-7842., or online go to: http://www.yourtickettowork.com/.

If after learning about your choices, and want to go to work contact J. Lodge at:: http://www.jlodge.com/careers. Hope to have you as a co-worker soon!!!!!

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