Students with Disabilities Resources

Individuals with disabilities may face even greater challenges during the job search process. They might encounter questions that other job seekers don’t have to consider or ask. Here are some resources to help you achieve your career goals.

Support on Campus

SDRC

The Student Disability Resource Center’s (SDRC) primary mission is to ensure access for students with disabilities to all curricular and co-curricular opportunities offered by Austin Peay State University.

All About ADA

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) has a broad definition of disability. Anything related to your physical and/or mental health that impacts your day-to-day life activities may be protected under the ADA. The ADA was established to protect those with a disability or those perceived as having a disability from discrimination in the workplace. If you want to read more on the full definition of disability, follow the link to the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission. It is important to note that having general knowledge of ADA and your rights is vital, should you need to request an accommodation at your workplace. An individual’s mental and/or physical health may or may not change over time, so this is important information to consider as you are entering the workplace.

What the ADA means for your job search.

It is illegal for employers covered under the ADA to discriminate against a qualified applicant with a disability.

• An applicant with a disability must still meet all requirements for the position including education, training, and skills.
• An applicant with a disability must be able to perform all “essential duties” of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

An employer must make reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability during the interview process.

• It is important for you to consider in advance any accommodation that you might need to access the interview process. You might want to consider asking about the format and modality of the interview ahead of time to help determine whether an accommodation may be necessary.
• It is important to request accommodations for an interview well in advance so that the employer and hiring team can make the necessary arrangements.

An employer may not ask questions regarding disability before making a job offer.

• An employer may not inquire about disability at any point before extending a job offer, including during an application or interview.
• An employer may ask about the ability to complete essential job functions if the questions are not phrased to elicit the presence of a disability.
• Questions that an employer cannot ask include:
  • Do you have a disability that would affect your performance on the job?
  • Have you ever been treated for mental health problems?
  • Are you currently taking prescription drugs?
  • If an employer asks a question regarding a disability, you need to decide how you would like to respond. You may decline to answer, as it is against the law for them to ask.

An employer must make reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability during employment.

• Private, non-profit, and charity organizations with fewer than 15 employees are not always required to comply with the ADA, so it is important to research any organization/company that you are applying to better understand processes they have in place to support employees with disabilities.
• If you have questions about any organization’s ADA-related processes, it is best to contact their HR department. 
• Employers are required to have an interactive process with you about your accommodations and decisions cannot be made unilaterally. o Employers can choose among effective options for accommodation.
• Employers do not have to make accommodations that cause an “undue hardship”. However, there should be an interactive discussion about this part of your accommodation process.
• Employers do not have to remove essential functions or alter the job requirements due to a disability.

Considerations Regarding Disability Disclosure and Disability

It is essential to carefully consider what information you are disclosing and to whom you are disclosing information to when you enter the working world. While people have different comfort levels in terms of information-sharing, it’s important to make a well-informed decision as it relates to your personal information.

During the accommodation process, you may be required to share documentation of your disability. However, you do not have to disclose information about your disability outside of an organization’s designated accommodation process. To ensure confidentiality and privacy of your personal information, individuals can focus on accommodation requests vs. disability disclosures up-front and ask to be directed to the appropriate organizational process before getting too in-depth. 

• Pro Tip: Familiarize yourself early on with an employer’s Benefits and/or ADA Human Resources point of contact, so you can have a confidential resource should you need to request accommodation. If an individual discloses a disability/diagnosis to anyone who does not manage the formal accommodation request process (i.e. a colleague or even a supervisor in the workplace), the individual’s information is no longer private.
• Pro Tip: Reach out to an employer of interest and ask if they can get you in touch with a Human Resources professional who can serve as your point of contact when requesting accommodation. Once you request an accommodation, this should lead to an interactive process where you are directed to what you are required to disclose. 

Many people with disabilities never disclose this information to employers as they feel that this is unimportant in the context of their work. While you may not feel like you must hide a disability, you should not feel that you have to share it outside of the designated accommodation process. However, not disclosing through an organization’s formal process could likely jeopardize your ability to receive accommodations.

Potential Employers and Resources Beyond Campus

• abilityJOBS – A leading website dedicated to employment of people with disabilities: offers job postings as well as a resume bank for candidates.

• AbilityLinks – A job opportunity website for persons with disabilities and inclusive employers.

• ADA Disability Rights Guide

• AskJan – An accommodation database that provides lists of common workplace accommodations by disability.

• Bender Consulting Services – Career opportunities in the public and private sectors.

• CareerConnect – An employment information resource developed by the American Foundation for the Blind for job seekers who are blind or visually impaired.

• Equal Opportunity Publications – This site contains job postings, a list of companies who are actively recruiting, and a resume database.

• Disability Talent - Disability Solutions offers tools that enable individuals and veterans with disabilities to land their next great career opportunity.

• GettingHired – Online job board that bridges the gap between job seekers with disabilities and employers looking to hire. 

• Gogovernment - Resources for people with disabilities

• Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC Jobs Page) – Lists jobs at colleges and universities across the country (alliance to increase hiring of people with disabilities).

• Lime Connect - Lime Connect is the largest network of high-achieving students and professionals (including veterans) with visible and non-visible disabilities.

• U.S. Office of Personnel Management – An exception to the traditional federal hiring process, streamlining the hiring process for people with disabilities and in some cases allowing for non-competitive hiring.

• The Viscardi Center – Programs and services that educate, employ, and empower individuals with disabilities.

• USAJobs – Federal job opportunities and unique hiring paths for individuals with disabilities.

• Workforce Recruitment Program – A recruitment and referral program that connects federal sector employers with college students and recent graduates with disabilities.

• workplacediversity – is a premier job board site for employers who are seeking experienced diverse talent.