Career resources for students with disabilities

Students with disabilities will face the same challenges as all job seekers, and may also have specific questions or issues that arise related to disabilities. On this page is information about advising and resources specifically relevant to students with disabilities and your career development journey. 

Advising

Uncertainty about whether you have a disability

• If you are uncertain if you have a disability, you are encouraged to contact the office of Services for Students with Disabilities [SSD] at Virginia Tech.

Disclosing a disability to an employer

• There are many things to consider when deciding if/when to disclose a disability to an employer. You might consider discussing the options with your Services for Students with Disabilities counselor, and/or a Career and Professional Development (CPD) advisor.

More in-depth conversations about job search and disability

• Please call our main Career and Professional Development (CPD) number during office hours to schedule an appointment with a CPD advisor. We can direct you to talk with an advisor who can best match your needs.
• More about advising through Career and Professional Development.

Resources

Career and Professional Development does not endorse or recommend any fee-based services or products on websites we list and link.

U.S. federal government resources for persons with disabilities:

• Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA); ada.gov
  U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination in all areas of life, including employment.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; eeoc.gov
  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
  Extensive information for employees and job applicants.
• Workforce Recruitment Program; wrp.gov/wrp
  The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) connects federal and private sector employers to eligible students and recent graduates with disabilities, and serves as the primary pipeline for bringing new hires into the federal government. We provide additional information about this program on our federal job search resources page > applying, under "Students with disabilities."

Job and internship resources

Some employers specifically seek out students with disabilities to hire into internship and job roles. Similarly, some websites exist solely to assist the job seeker who has a disability. The following are some resources that might be helpful in your job or internship search.

• 1800 Wheelchair
  Articles and resources to help people with disabilities find employment.
• AbilityLinks.com
  Employment website for job seekers with disabilitiesJob search function for people with disabilities, including job listings, resources, FAQs.
• AbilityLinks.org
  Job search function for people with disabilities. Also lists employer partners seeking to create an inclusive workplace.
• American Foundation for the Blind
  Resources for visually impaired students.
• American Association of People with Disabilities Summer Internship Program
  Internships with congressional offices, federal agencies, non-profits, and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC, area, for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates.
• Autism @ Work Roundtable Job Marketplace
  Listing of companies that are members of the Autism @ Work Roundtable, the types of roles they usually have available, and how to apply to each company.  In some cases, these companies have alternative hiring practices that are inclusive to people with autism spectrum disorders.
• Careers and the disABLED
  A monthly magazine featuring articles on career guidance and recruitment for people with disabilities.
• DisABLED Person Inc.
  Extensive job board listings.
• Entry Point! program of American Association for the Advancement of Science; (AAAS.org)
  Internship and co-op opportunities for students with disabilities studying in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and business. Entry Point! is the signature program of the AAAS Project on Science, Technology, and Disability; designed to increase the diversity of the science and engineering workforce by involving students and scientists with disabilities throughout all STEM education and career pathways.  
• Federal Jobs for the Disabled Hiring Programs
  Comprehensive information and lists of jobs for people with disabilities in the federal government.
• Getting Hired
  Nationwide job listings, as well as blog posts and webinars to help you on your job search. Has a section specifically for students.
• Job Accommodation Network [JAN]
  Source of free, expert, confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Lime Connect
  Global nonprofit that works to prepare college students with disabilities for scholarships, internships, and full-time careers.
• National Business and Disability Council
  Great online resources for job seekers with disabilities, including job and internship postings, local resource directories, webcasts, and more.
• National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship - The Viscardi Center.org
  The Disability Entrepreneurship Institute at The Viscardi Center (which operated as a two-year pilot program as the National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship) is a resource that educates and transforms innovative self-starters to achieve self-employment success.
• Our Ability
  Resources to help employers and job seekers connect.
• Recruit Disability
  Job board, and students can also post your resume for hiring employers to view. General job search advice is also offered.
• U.S. International Council on Disabilities Youth in Development Internships Program
  For students with disabilities interested in international development or foreign affairs careers.
• The Washington Center (TWC) internship programs, disability services
  The Washington Center is committed to ensuring that as many students as possible have access to our transformative internship experiences. We actively work to educate students on how they can advocate for themselves in the workplace in order to obtain accommodations.
• Workplace Diversity
  Organization that helps employers find diverse job candidates for inclusive work environments.