Resume and Employment Guide for People With Disabilities

The millions of disabled workers in the U.S. often face challenges such as stereotyping, discrimination, and a lack of accommodations. Thankfully, various legal protections and employment resources are available that help people with disabilities overcome these challenges and advance their careers.

We’ll discuss best practices for inclusive resumes, laws protecting disabled workers from discrimination, and several other topics to consider.

Resume Tips for People With Disabilities

For the most part, writing a resume with a disability involves the same best practices as crafting any type of resume. Some of the most important things to remember include:

Keep your resume clear and concise

Hiring managers usually have dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes to review to fill a single open position. There isn’t enough time to carefully review every applicant’s resume in depth — if you don’t catch their attention quickly, they’ll usually move on to their next option. Generally, limit yourself to one page, and favor short and direct words over longer synonyms. Use paragraph breaks and bullet points where necessary to avoid text that appears too dense.

That said, there are some instances where more than one page is okay, such as certain roles, experience levels, or working for the federal government. Review ourresume examples to learn best practices for your role.

Highlight your specific qualifications

While training is always an option, employers prefer candidates who already have experience in the field or with specific tools their team uses. Highlight any software platforms, regulatory programs, types of equipment, or other relevant skills to show the hiring manager you are qualified for the job.

Include a skills section on your resume where you list any and all technical knowledge or languages you know. If you are applying to a technology-based job, such as a computer programmer, it is recommended to include your Skills section towards the top of your resume. Break down the section into sub-categories such as programming languages, software, hardware, and operating systems.

Use numbers to quantify your work accomplishments

Even if you give potential employers a good idea of what your responsibilities were at your previous jobs, how will they know that you handled these responsibilities well? Showcasing your achievements with concrete numbers to demonstrate your job performance helps convince hiring managers you know what you’re doing.

For example, add the amount of revenue or savings generated, the percentage of projects completed under budget, or the size of the team you managed. Sometimes our accomplishments are difficult to quantify. In that case, consider displaying qualitative data, such as including a positive note from a coworker, client, or boss (with permission). For example, “Jackson was a pleasure to work with. He helped me navigate through the expansive store and select a color scheme to match my house.” (S. Smith, May 2024).

In addition to these general rules, two aspects of resume writing specifically affect workers with disabilities: deciding whether to disclose your disability and explaining gaps in your employment history.

Disclosing disabilities

You have no legal obligation to disclose your disability on your resume. Say you have an “invisible disability” such as a developmental disorder, learning disability, or mental health diagnosis. In that case, you may not have to ever share the information with an employer unless you require a reasonable accommodation. Even if you have a visible disability, you do not have to disclose it unless a reasonable accommodation is required.

A disability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.” Your first focus should be on securing an interview, and not mentioning your disability may help you avoid any instances of bias.

That said, after you’ve scheduled an interview, it may be helpful to disclose it. For example, if there are accommodations that you need to be successful in the interview or even to arrive at the office, informing the employer about it as soon as possible helps ensure everything is set up ahead of time.

Explaining gaps in employment history

People with disabilities sometimes have long or frequent gaps in their employment history. Prospective employers will likely notice these gaps on your resume and ask you to explain them.

Even in these cases, there is no need to disclose your disability if you do not wish to. To avoid this situation altogether, you can record the dates of obvious work history gaps on your resume and write “Illness and Recovery” next to them. This explains to employers why you were not working during these periods, and it implies you are now “recovered” and fully ready to work.

In the resume example below, we’ll show you exactly how people with disabilities can use these techniques when writing their resumes.

Disabled Worker Resume Example

Job-Related Resources for People With Disabilities

From skills training to interview practice to job search support, many employment resources are available for disabled workers. Below, we’ll review some of the most significant programs to be aware of.

Growing your job-seeking skills

Discovering job openings that match your background and skill set can be challenging, especially when you consider additional factors such as your desired location and salary requirements. However, by developing job-seeking skills, it’s much easier to find the ideal job opportunity and disability-friendly employers for your situation. The Department of Labor funds over 2,400 American Job Centers, which provide career services such as vocational assessment and access to labor market information. You can plug your city or zip code into CareerOneStop’s finder tool to discover the American Job Centers located closest to your home. Each state, plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and four territories, have Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies that help individuals with disabilities prepare for, secure, regain, or retain employment. There may also be a Center for Independent Living near you. In addition to helping people with disabilities live independently, many of these facilities offer services such as job training and career coaching.

Finding a job

Once you’re ready to apply for positions, you can use one of the many job boards, online search sites, and other job placement resources designed for people with disabilities. Some of the most helpful resources include:

• abilityJOBS: Founded back in 1995, this is the largest job site for people with disabilities. Of the employers that use this service, 100% are looking specifically to hire disabled workers, and include prominent organizations such as the CIA, Deloitte, Amazon, and Wells Fargo.

• Disability:IN: This is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. The network of over 500 corporations expands opportunities for people with disabilities across enterprises.

• Disabled Person: This job board offers opportunities across many different career categories, including accounting, architecture, marketing, military/defense, and management.

• Getting Hired: You’ll find tens of thousands of available jobs with inclusive employers on this site’s job board. Getting Hired also holds recruiting events and publishes helpful articles on inclusivity-related topics.

• Workforce Recruitment Program: This site connects federal and select private-sector employers nationwide with college students, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to demonstrate their abilities in the workplace through internships or permanent jobs.

Finding federal and government jobs

There are a couple of key benefits to federal jobs for people with disabilities, such as work being available across the country in many career fields. Also, it allows you to take advantage of the Schedule A hiring process. The Schedule A program involves federal agencies using a special authority to hire disabled workers without requiring them to compete for the job. To be eligible for the Schedule A program, you must be qualified for the job you’re applying to and have an intellectual, psychiatric, or severe physical disability. You’ll also need to obtain “proof of a disability” documentation in which a medical professional attests to this. This non-competitive process can improve your odds of landing a federal job, but it does not guarantee employment. Also, there is a probationary period for Schedule A jobs that can last up to two years, depending on the type of employment, during which you will be held to the same performance standard as all other employees. The federal government’s job site, USAJOBS, allows you to search for both competitive and non-competitive job openings for disabled workers.

For recent grads and people new to the workforce

It can be difficult for anyone to find their first job and get used to the routine and responsibilities of a full-time position — disabilities may make this transition more difficult. The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability provides a number of helpful resources for people with disabilities who are new to the workforce, including the High School/High Tech program, which helps disabled youth explore careers in math, science, and technology. Job Corps can also help you get your career off to a good start with free educational and job training programs. These programs are very accessible, with Job Corps offering support services for a wide range of disabilities.

For veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a comprehensive set of Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) services that help disabled veterans achieve their career goals. These services include job training, resume development, and career coaching. They can help you set up accommodations at your job as well. Veterans are eligible for these services as long as they did not receive a dishonorable discharge and have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from the VA. Active-duty members of the military are also eligible for VR&E services if they have a disability rating of at least 20% or are waiting to be discharged due to a severe illness or injury.

Know Your Rights

You’ve likely heard of the ADA, but several other pieces of legislation help prevent discrimination and provide accommodations for people who are disabled.

Below, we’ll discuss the ADA and the other major laws that cover workers with disabilities.

ADA

The ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination. Two sections of the ADA deal with employment issues, covering not just hiring practices but also pay, benefits, promotions, and firing practices.

• Title I: Private businesses, educational institutions, employment agencies, and labor organizations that have more than 15 employees are prohibited from discriminating against disabled workers. Title I also requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” for both employees and job seekers who have a disability. Such accommodations can include making existing facilities accessible, along with modifying equipment and work schedules.

• Title II: State and local government entities are prohibited from discriminating against disabled workers regardless of their number of employees.

Removing an essential function from a job, lowering production standards, and providing personal use items also needed off the job (like prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs) are not considered reasonable accommodations under the ADA.

How does a disabled worker request reasonable accommodations?

Rehabilitation Act

While the ADA covers state and local government entities, the Rehabilitation Act covers federal government entities. Private employers that receive over $10,000 annually from contracts with federal agencies and organizations that receive federal assistance are also covered under this law.

The Rehabilitation Act prohibits these types of employers from discriminating against qualified job applicants with disabilities. It also provides funding for vocational rehabilitation programs, skills training, and other disability-related purposes.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) helps provide training and career services to all job seekers. There are several parts of this legislation concerned specifically with disabled workers, including:

• WIOA requires American Job Centers to maintain physical and programmatic accessibility for people with disabilities.
• Pre-employment transition services are available for students with disabilities.
• State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies engage with employers and connect them with disabled workers.

Also, Section 188 of WIOA prohibits disability-based discrimination in programs and activities offered as part of WIOA-supported workforce development efforts.

Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act

Another piece of legislation to be aware of is the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), which covers federal contracts or subcontracts of $100,000 or more.

This law requires such contractors to provide disabled veterans with equal access to employment activities (such as recruiting, hiring, and promotions). VEVRAA also requires employers to post available jobs with their local state employment service so veterans have priority access to job listings.

Dealing With Workplace Discrimination and Harassment

It’s good to know that there are laws protecting people with disabilities from discrimination — but unless these laws are actually enforced, they won’t have their intended effect. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace.

Not all organizations are covered by the laws enforced by the EEOC. While federal government entities are subject to these laws regardless of their size, private businesses and state and local government entities with fewer than 15 employees are not required to follow all of these rules.

Your protections under the EEOC

The EEOC ensures that employees and job applicants are protected against discrimination based on sex, race, age, disability, and other factors. Disabled workers are also protected from being denied reasonable accommodations.

Laws the EEOC enforces

The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, and the Equal Pay Act. For disabled workers, the ADA is the most relevant law.

What constitutes harassment?

Legally, harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct such as offensive jokes, physical assaults or threats, ridicule or insults, and the display of offensive objects or pictures. This behavior becomes illegal when it creates a hostile work environment or when a worker gets fired for refusing to put up with the harassment.

How you’re protected from retaliation

It is also illegal for employers to retaliate against workers who make an effort to utilize these anti-discrimination laws. Specifically, employers may not punish an employee for talking to a supervisor about discrimination in the workplace, refusing to follow directions from a supervisor that would result in discrimination, filing an employment discrimination complaint, or assisting an EEOC investigation.

How to file an employment discrimination complaint

The EEOC has divided its jurisdiction over the country into 15 districts, and each district has at least one EEOC field office. To file an employment discrimination complaint, contact the EEOC field office with jurisdiction over your area.

How to file a lawsuit

After you’ve filed a complaint with one of your district’s EEOC field offices, they will decide whether there is a strong enough case that the employer violated the ADA to move forward with litigation. If the EEOC decides to not bring a lawsuit against the employer based on your complaint, you will be notified you have the right to sue them in civil court.

If you decide to file a civil lawsuit, find an attorney who specializes in employment law. National Employment Lawyers Association’s directory offers hundreds of options. The amount of money you can win in these cases depends on how many times the employer is found to have violated the ADA — the maximum civil penalty is $75,000 for the first offense and $150,000 for each subsequent violation.

Additional Resources

These prominent programs may provide you with some valuable support:

• AbilityOne: Over 40,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities, including about 3,000 veterans, are employed through AbilityOne. This federal agency generates work for people with disabilities by purchasing products from participating community-based nonprofits that train and employ people with disabilities. AbilityOne’s Employment Opportunities page will direct you to the roles available in the network.

• Job Accommodation Network: Funded by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), this network provides free one-on-one expert consultations on topics such as job accommodation solutions, self-employment options, the ADA, and other laws regarding employment rights.

• ODEP: Founded in 2001, ODEP is the only non-regulatory federal agency that promotes policies and collaborates with employers on behalf of disabled workers. ODEP doesn’t directly provide support services, but its research, funding, and advocacy work behind the scenes to increase the number and improve the quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

• Ticket to Work: This program provides career development services to Social Security disability beneficiaries between the ages of 18 to 64 who want to work. These services include counseling, training, and job placement.

• Workforce Recruitment Program: Managed by ODEP and the Department of Defense, this program connects employers with college students and recent graduates who have disabilities and are ready to enter the workforce. This is an excellent resource if you’re looking for a short-term summer job to test out a career path or gain some experience as you study. The program also offers permanent job opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Disabilities and Employment