Unemployed and Living With a Disability? Here’s How You Can Find a Job

If you’re living with a disability of some kind and you’re currently out of work but hope to find a job, the task can sometimes seem like a long journey fraught with many obstacles. Unemployment in Australia has been a long-term problem for many job seekers and it can be even more difficult to find work when you have a disability.

However, there is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Australians with disabilities can get jobs and this article is going to focus on the reasons why along with assistance available to disabled job seekers. 

There Are Employers That Focus On Workplace Diversity

Diversity in the workplace is something that’s been promoted in Australian culture for some time now. There are numerous advantages to workplace diversity and more and more employers are recognising this.

Diversity means including different groups of people rather than excluding them. This could mean hiring workers from a variety of nationalities, hiring people of all age groups and also giving people with a disability a chance to prove they can become an integral part of the workforce.

Certain businesses and companies are renowned for promoting workplace diversity, so it’s a good idea to try and find these companies and apply for a job with one. You could do an online search or ask for recommendations from your online peers.

Even if a particular company doesn’t currently have any available positions, you can at least express your interest and submit a resume. That way, when a position does become available, you’ll already be in mind. 

Highlight Your Positive Aspects

When looking for work, while you should inform potential employers about your disability, try and focus on the positives and what assets you’ll bring to the table. Highlight your skills, experience, enthusiasm levels, anything that will paint you (and your application) in a positive light.

Many people with disabilities, once they do land a job, are so happy to have work that they become very stable, loyal and long-term employees. This is a point you may also want to consider highlighting in a job application or during a job interview.

What employers don’t like is workers coming and going all the time and having to train new employees, so professing loyalty and commitment is something many employers value highly. 

Give Yourself Every Possible Competitive Advantage

It can be a competitive world out there, so it only makes sense to give yourself every possible advantage over your competitors when looking for a job. If you have some ideas of the kind of work you’re looking for, then educate yourself as much as possible in this field. Take training courses or even focus on getting a degree in a particular field.

There are many jobs that can be done just as well by a person with a disability as an able-bodied individual. This is certainly true of many white-collar jobs, where physical labour is not involved.

If you have a career path in mind, research what you can do or achieve to gain a competitive advantage and put yourself in pole position when a suitable job becomes available.

Employment Assistance for People With Disabilities

Disability Employment Services, often abbreviated to DES, exist to assist individuals living with a disability find work. Your local Jobactive providers are your stepping stone to receiving the assistance you need to not only find the job you want but also ongoing help to ascertain that you remain gainfully employed and that there are no issues for you or your employer.

Both NDIS and DES are initiatives that are funded by the Federal Government. Which means you can find NDIS in Townsville and Sydney and support and process will be the same from state to state, or city to city. While the schemes differ in certain respects, both have been designed to help anyone living with a disability who wants to find work be given every chance to get a job.

If you want to know more about support for job seekers with a disability, either talk to a Jobactive provider or read up on available assistance on government websites. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help. There’s no need to go it alone. 

In Conclusion

While there will certainly be more obstacles along the path, finding employment when you have a disability is possible and there is help available to make that happen.