If you have a visible disability, it can be a good idea to let the employer know in the interview how you will be able to perform the job. “I have transportation from Voc Rehab in a van equipped for wheelchairs, so I will have no problem getting to work on time every day."

Do not ask for accommodations until after you have been offered the job. Whether you have a disability or not, it does not look good in an interview to be asking what the employer can do for you or telling them what you need. The interview is for telling the employer how well you can do the job.

When you have been offered a job, it is perfectly all right to suggest accommodations. Try to consider the employer’s point of view and think of the cheapest, simplest way to meet your needs. For example, if the office you would be working is on the second floor and you use a wheelchair, it is probably far simpler for you to ask to work in an office on the first floor than that the employer install an elevator.

The National Business and Disability Council website will allow you to post your resume and search for jobs. There are a few jobs listed for people with a GED or high school diploma, and more for people with at least some college. All of the jobs listed require moving off the reservation. If you are willing to move away from home, at least for a year or more, there are some good opportunities here.



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My child has a severe disability… can he or she really get a job… and how can I help?
You can help now by getting your child prepared for the work place, even if he or she is still in school.

Looking good – as one mother said of her son with Down syndrome – “He may not be able to think or talk as well as some of the other kids, but there is no reason he can’t look just as good.” Make sure your child is clean, has hair combed and wears clothes that are matching and age appropriate. Your fifteen-year-old son should not be wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh t-shirt to school. Dressing and grooming appropriately is one part of fitting in the work place where a parent can begin at an early age getting a child prepared for work.

Contact vocational rehabilitation. They will provide services to help your child be ready to get a job when he or she finishes school. They can also help your child get work experience while still in school.

Email us your tips (please). We are adding to this page all of the time. If you are using this website on CD-ROM, please write us at COPT, P.O. Box 76, Fort Totten, ND 58335 or Fax us at (310) 496-2068