Americans with Disabilities Got Talent!

In two consecutive weeks, Americans with Disabilities have come out as frontrunners on the popular NBC television show America’s Got Talent. In the season opener, strong contender Kodi Lee blew the judges away and earned the first golden buzzer of the young season, going straight to the live performance portion of the show. In week two, comedian Ryan Niemiller cracked witty jokes drawing attention to his disability, and yet at the same time enabling the audience to see who he really is, a really funny guy.

As I enjoyed the obvious talents of these two individuals, I began to think about all the talents and skills that exist within people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Some of these skills are easily recognizable in the savant skills of some people with autism, as was seen with Kodi Lee. Society has witnessed other savants from Kim Peek (portrayed in the film Rain Man) and Alonzo Clemons to Steven Wiltshire and Derek Paravicini. These individuals display extraordinary abilities amongst seemingly insurmountable disabilities. Google any of those names and prepare to be amazed!

While it is clear to see that the career paths for Ryan and Kodi are going to be blown wide open, there are a lot more people with disabilities that are still trying to find their way. Recent efforts at increasing community involvement in the state of Pennsylvania for people with disabilities has caused more attention to be placed on the actual community interactions that these individuals have on a daily basis. It is becoming more obvious, that even though these residents live in the communities, they are still not always seen as an integral part of the community in which they live.

This needs to change. One of the ways to be a part of this change is in assisting individuals with disabilities in getting jobs and other meaningful positions of volunteer work to suit their needs. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended (Rehab Act) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment, and in the employment practices of federal contractors.

In February 2016, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Section 501. The rule consolidates existing requirements from a variety of sources and sets goals for federal agency workforces of 12% representation for individuals with disabilities and 2% for individuals with “targeted” disabilities. Section 503 goes on to state that employers with federal contracts (or subcontracts) are also prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability and has a goal set of 7% representation.

Good jobs for people with disabilities are possible to find, and you don’t have to be the next Kodi Lee or Ryan Niemiller. America is home to more than 20 million working age individuals with at least one disability.

From an article written on trade-schools.net, consider the following 7 tips on How to Conduct an Effective Job Search if You Have a Disability.

1. Get Clear About Your Goals – narrow down what you really want to do. Even if you can’t narrow it down to a specific career, see if you can figure out which skills you want to use or develop,
2. Find Help – most communities have non-profit or government run agencies that provide assistance to people who are seeking disability employment (PAcareerlink.pa.gov).
3. Know Where to Look – A lot of job opportunities can be found through organizations that actively generate or promote openings for those with disabilities. In some cases, you might even be able to take advantage of special hiring processes. Two great examples of where you can find disability employment openings include:
   • The National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. (NTI)—This not-for-profit organization specializes in identifying and developing work-at-home opportunities for Americans with physical disabilities. NTI matches people with part-time or full-time jobs—and helps train them—in fields like virtual customer service, technical support, survey work, quality-control monitoring, and business-to-business telemarketing. In fact, roughly 85 percent of the opportunities developed by NTI are home-based customer service jobs for commercial companies and federal government agencies.
   • USAJOBS—As part of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this resource helps a lot of people with disabilities connect with good job opportunities throughout the federal government. In 2015 alone, USAJOBS listed over 360,420 job announcements—for opportunities in more than 145 countries—from over 500 federal agencies.**** Plus, it offers information about the Schedule A Hiring Authority, which often gives federal agencies a faster option for hiring individuals who have psychiatric, intellectual, or severe physical disabilities.
4. Make Your Ambitions Known – Don’t be shy about telling friends, family, or other people that you encounter in your life about your employment aspirations.
5. Start Volunteering – It’s amazing what you can learn through volunteer opportunities. Many people with disabilities have gained marketable skills through volunteering and gone on to find great jobs that pay well. Plus, being a volunteer gives you a chance to expand your network of professionals who can serve as references. And it’s a good way to avoid social isolation while getting used to working in a structured environment.
6. Interview Like a Pro – Every job interview is an opportunity to showcase your strengths. So it’s essential to play up your talents and abilities. For example, maybe your disability has given you more persistence, a better work ethic, and an ability to take on new challenges at a higher level than other professionals. Focus on how you can add value to each organization, and describe your talents in as much detail as possible. If you need accommodations, then be honest about it.
7. Don’t Give Up – Even the most talented and qualified people without disabilities sometimes run into roadblocks. So if you’re not getting the opportunities you want, don’t lose hope. Keep trying. Your confidence and self-esteem are the biggest assets that will keep you in the running. It’s only a matter of time before your job-search efforts start generating results. Stick with it.

We know we have a lot of Americans with Talent living amongst our group homes and working at provider agency programs. It’s time to share that talent with the rest of the world – maybe the rest of the world is finally ready to see the great talents and personalities that enrich so many lives already.