How Disabled People Can Become Successful in the Labor Market

Introduction

The victory lies in three key factors. Quality education in the required field through state or private support.

People with disabilities in the United States are more likely to look for work than people without disabilities. In 2023, the share of employed people with disabilities increased by 1.2%. During the same period, the share of unemployed people with disabilities increased by only 0.4%. By the end of the year, 22.5% of people with disabilities were employed. This is the highest result since 2008! ⁽¹⁾ The growing popularity of employment increases interest among people with disabilities in ways to earn money more effectively. Analyzing information about the labor market for people with disabilities will help you understand how to get a job more effectively.

Main Item

Good Education

The key factor that allows people to be competitive in the labor market is education. This is confirmed at all stages of a person's life. In the United States, there is an increase in the number of disabled people in schools. And this explains the activation of disabled people in the labor market.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports:

"In 2022-23, the number of students ages 3-21 who received special education and/or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.5 million, or the equivalent of 15 percent of all public school students. The number of students ages 3-21 served under IDEA in the United States1 increased from 6.4 million in school year 2012-13 to 7.5 million in school year 2022-23. enrollment, this equates to an increase from 13 to 15 percent of students." ⁽²⁾

In the future, those disabled people who receive a better education are more successful in finding employment. Among disabled people with an education of "Less than a high school diploma", the unemployment rate is 5.2%. The same figure among disabled people with an education of "Bachelor's degree and higher" is only 2%. This is not a coincidence but a pattern. As education improves, the unemployment rate decreases. Among disabled people with an education of "High school graduates, no college", the unemployment rate is 3.7%. And disabled people with an education of "Some college or associate degree" are characterized by unemployment at a rate of 2.8%. ⁽³⁾

Required Field

However, it is not that simple. Only a good education is not a guarantee of success in the labor market. Especially when it comes to disabled people. The specificity of education is important. That is, the field of professional activity in which the student is studying is important. Here are the TOP 10 Occupation as a percent of total employed disabled people: ⁽³⁾

• Management occupations 11.6%
• Transportation and material moving occupations 8.9%
• Sales and related occupations 8.8%
• Food preparation and serving related occupations 5.8%
• Production occupations 5.6%
• Education, training, and library occupations 5.4%
• Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations 4.7%
• Construction and extraction occupations 4.4%
• Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations 4.3%
• Healthcare support occupations 3.8%.

State or Private Support

But quality training for a good profession is very expensive. Therefore, support measures are a very important factor for obtaining an education. After all, the income of disabled people is less than the income of non-disabled people. And this reduces the chances of disabled people to be able to pay for their education on their own. So, the average salary of disabled people in the United States in 2022 was $46,887 per year. The average salary of non-disabled people was $55,208 per year. ⁽⁴⁾

With enough luck, it is possible to obtain the highest quality education in each of these Occupations with the help of federal or private capital. However, the amount and duration of support may vary.

For example, disabled people who want to work as teachers (Education, training, and library occupations 5.4%) can use The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH). This grant is intended for a student who wants to get a teacher's education and is ready to work in a school. The grant is available to students with low income. The amount of the cash payment is $4,000 per year. To receive the grant, you must attend special courses. After completing your studies, you must teach in a school for four years. If you do not do this, the grant will have to be repaid in the form of a direct unsubsidized loan. ⁽⁵⁾

You can also pay for your education with Federal Pell Grants. The grant is available to first-year college students. The student's family income must be less than $50,000 per year. The maximum grant amount changes every year. In 2024, this figure is $7,395. However, most grants contain a smaller amount. The Federal Pell Grant can be used for six years or 12 semesters.⁽⁶⁾

Another federal channel for supporting students with disabilities is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). These grants are typically awarded to first-year college students. The average grant is $2,000 per year. Grants are awarded to students who have the greatest financial need. These are usually students who are eligible for Federal Pell Grants but who are in comparatively poor financial condition. ⁽⁷⁾

In addition to federal support measures, students with disabilities can use private capital assistance. These are mainly scholarships for education. Such support can be obtained at many colleges and universities. Here are some of these educational institutions:⁽⁸⁾

• AAHD Frederick J Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) College Scholarship Program
• Baer Reintegration Scholarship
• Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship
• Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) Educational Scholarships
• Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship.

As we can see, education is very important for success in the labor market. However, in order for education to help you, you need to follow three rules: quality of education, the right choice of education and outside support for obtaining education. Whether you can achieve this depends only on you.

Check List

1) https://www.disabled-world.com/editorials/disability-unemployed.php

2) https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg/students-with-disabilities

3) https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf

4) https://www.statista.com/statistics/978989/disability-annual-earnings-us/

5) https://studentaid.gov/teach-grant-program

6) https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell

7) https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/fseog

8) https://accessforce.org/article/can-a-disabled-person-go-to-college-for-free/

Author Credentials:
Pavel Kuljuk's articles and poems are published in Australia, North America, and Europe. In recent years, he has been constantly collaborating with Australian Rural & Regional News (Australia), Red Hook Daily Catch and OpEd News (USA), and Disabled World (Canada). Kuliuk's individual publications are in Forbes (Kazakhstan), Rural 21 (Germany), London Loves Business (UK), Karrep (India), RealClearDefense (RCD), Change Links, Daily Caller (USA), and many others. Explore Pavels' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.