Resume and Employment Guide for People With Disabilities

For anyone with a disability – whether visible or not – the job market might seem like a scary place. If you’re living with a disability, you might be fearful of judgment, rejection, biases, or having to prove you’re “worthy” of a good job.

There are many opportunities for people with disabilities to find jobs. What matters most are the knowledge and skills that make you unique and well-qualified for the positions you want to pursue. Your disability doesn’t prevent you from finding a good job that fulfills you.

Keep reading for more information about how to execute a job search effectively in a competitive job market. You’ll learn a comprehensive approach to writing your resume and how to job search as a person with a disability.

Understanding Your Rights and Resources

Legal protections

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 and outlaws discrimination in a number of areas, including employment, education, and transportation. Title I of the ADA is the most relevant, so read through it to educate yourself about what it covers related to employment.

Here are two important terms to understand:

1. Reasonable accommodations: Modifications or adjustments to a job or to the work environment to help a qualified applicant with a disability either participate in the application process or perform the essential responsibilities of the position.
2. Non-discrimination: The prohibition of unfair treatment or discriminatory practices against anyone based on protected characteristics based on protected characteristics (including disability) to give applicants equal opportunities to succeed with prejudice.

You can also learn your rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. These laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in federal programs and support access to employment, education, training, and support services to help you navigate the job market effectively.

Available resources

There are many resources available, and you can take full advantage of each one to strengthen your job search strategy. First, check out these government and nonprofit organizations that offer support and guidance:

• American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD): A nonprofit promoting equal opportunity, economic power, and political participation for people with disabilities.
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN): An organization offering free and confidential guidance concerning workplace accommodations and issues related to disability employment.
• Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): The U.S. Department of Labor Agency that creates policies to increase workplace success for people with disabilities.
• The ARC: An advocacy organization encouraging the full participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the job market.

The second way to improve your job search is to move from traditional platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster.com, and ZipRecruiter and onto job boards specifically designed for people with disabilities. Research open positions with companies that value employees with diverse abilities on sites such as abilityJOBS, Getting Hired, Inclusively, and Disabled Person.

Crafting a Resume for Job Seekers With Disabilities

Choosing the right format and addressing employment gaps

If your disability has required you to step away from work for any length of time, you might have gaps in employment. Some employers consider gaps to be a “red flag” and might assume they are for some negative reason. It’s important to determine which format to use when you write your resume to help assuage employers’ fears.

You could create a traditional reverse chronological resume that lists your experiences in order starting with the most recent. If you have gaps, you could downplay them by listing only the years for the dates of employment; however, this could still be considered suspicious by a hiring manager. The other option is to add a single-line explanation if you’re comfortable disclosing the reason for the gap. For example: “Career Hiatus: Medical Leave.”

A functional resume highlights your skill set rather than emphasizing bullet points specific to each job. This format may be a better option if you have limited experience, want to transition to a new industry, or have large gaps that make it difficult to craft a clear story of professional value. Using this format, outline your skills and how you’ve used them in various situations, including bullet points under each ability.

You might have skills like “Project Management,” “Customer Engagement,” or “Budgeting” listed as themes, then add bullet points under each one describing how you’ve used those skills to contribute to success in various organizations or positions.

The popular combined resume format incorporates aspects of both reverse chronological and functional styles. Typically, the top one-third of the page is dedicated to skills and abilities; the rest of the resume focuses on specific experiences and work history with bullet points designed to showcase outcomes and accomplishments. With this style, you can bridge any gaps in skill set by focusing on transferable skills first and then describing your professional history.

Highlighting skills and achievements

When you write your resume, focus heavily on your transferable skills and accomplishments. Don’t expect a hiring manager to understand how your experiences will translate into success in the new role — be intentional about connecting your knowledge, skills, and abilities to the position you’re targeting.

As you review job descriptions for the roles you want, note the jargon and language used in the company and industry. Consider how you can adapt that language to demonstrate that you have the skills needed to succeed, even though those skills may have been called something else or applied in a different area in your past roles. Adopt the language you see in the job descriptions so hiring managers see you have the know-how to contribute to their team on day one.

When you emphasize achievements on the resume, you show you’ve added value to previous employers and grab the attention of the hiring manager by incorporating numbers into the content. A hiring manager will be drawn to read in more detail because the human brain is naturally analytical and wants to understand numbers in context.

Once you’ve impressed them with your abilities, the hiring manager might think: “This candidate is valuable to me, and I need them to come to my company and do the same thing here that they did in their previous roles.”

Including other relevant experience

It doesn’t matter how or where you gained experience; you can include it on your resume. You can include volunteer work, held part-time positions, or completed either paid or unpaid internships on your resume without having to downplay them.

Only include information that will show real value to a hiring manager. Many times, people expand their skills through volunteer work or gain new knowledge from part-time work or internships. But those experiences are just as important as full-time or salaried positions. Leverage all of your past to convince a hiring manager that you’re worth considering for the job.

Optional disclosure of disability

You’re never required to disclose your disability on your resume. Whether or not your disability is visible should have no bearing on a hiring manager’s decision to consider you for a role. Deciding whether to mention it is a personal choice, so think carefully about the ramifications before you make a decision.

On the positive side of the argument for including your disability on your resume is that you can get it out of the way and not have to worry. You won’t be concerned that a hiring manager will be shocked by your disability when they meet you for an interview. Maybe you will be proud to represent people with disabilities and consider it (rightly so) as a strength that makes you better qualified than most other candidates to handle tough situations.

When you walk into work, you bring your entire self, including your disability, and might want to bring the same mentality to the application process. The option to include your disability on the resume also means that you’ll weed out organizations that don’t value diversity of ability in their workforce.

The negative side to including your disability is almost exclusively that you risk facing biases, prejudices, and outright discrimination. You’re automatically at a disadvantage if a hiring manager has a negative view of people with disabilities, has preconceived notions of what a disability looks like, or assumes that someone with a disability is incapable of contributing in the workplace. While you wouldn’t want to work in a company with that kind of environment, it can still be painful to experience a rejection based on something you cannot control.

If you include information about your disability on the resume, be brief. You don’t need to go into detail about how it affects you, how your condition or disability prevents you from performing, or your expectations for reasonable accommodations. Some people choose to include their disability front and center in the “Summary” or “Profile” section at the top of the page. You might write: “Wheelchair bound expert in accounting and finance…” or “Client services leader with 15 years of experience driving positive customer engagements despite a disability…”

The other option is to include mention of your disability in any employment gaps (as mentioned earlier) or to include a brief explanation in the footer. Wherever you choose to add this kind of content, share only as much as you’re comfortable divulging.

Writing a Compelling Cover Letter

Personalizing your application

Regardless of ability, everyone should customize their application for each role to increase the likelihood of an interview request. A tailored cover letter can help connect the dots for the hiring manager about why you want a specific job or how you’ll be good for the role.

Don’t be afraid to mention how your experiences and strengths match the requirements in the job description. Also, demonstrate how you’ll fit into the organizational culture by identifying how your personal mission, vision, and values align with those of the company. You might express how your disability will allow you to make a positive contribution by introducing a diverse perspective to the team.

Highlighting key skills and experiences

Generic cover letters are less effective because there’s no direct correlation between your skills and how your unique knowledge base will benefit the new employer. Identify the top skills or responsibilities for the job, then think about how you can draw parallels from your previous professional experiences to show that you have the skills to succeed in the new role.

Addressing your disability (if applicable)

The choice to disclose a disability is highly personal, and only do so if you feel comfortable and can communicate your story in a clear but concise manner.

When mentioning your disability, you must find a balance between sharing what is personal and what is private. Your disability is personal to you, but you may feel comfortable sharing it. The intimate details of your disability and how it affects you each day are likely more private and don’t need to be shared.

Resumes and cover letters are naturally inclined toward the past, but it’s a good idea to focus more on the future. Explain in the cover letter how your disability doesn’t detract from your skills and your fit for the position, focusing harder on your qualifications and how they match the requirements for the job rather than the specifics of your disability.

Here are some examples of language you can use in a cover letter to disclose your disability:

• “I’ve developed a really unique skill set as a result of learning to navigate the workplace while also dealing with [type of disability].”
• “I’m proud of the work I’ve done – battling the challenges of [type of disability] without allowing it to affect the quality of my work.”
• “Living with [type of disability] hasn’t always been easy, but I’m fortunate to have used my disability to my professional advantage and to have strengthened my skills along the way.”

Your expectations for reasonable accommodations should not be mentioned in the cover letter. That kind of discussion can be saved for the interview and job offer processes.

Job Search Strategies for Disabled Individuals

Leveraging job boards and networks

In a job search, it’s important to use all of the resources available to you. Vary how you approach it by researching your target roles across specialized job boards like AbilityJobs and DisabledPerson while checking company websites for the organizations where you want to work.

Networking tips

There is no better way to make connections than to meet people in person. Attending networking events might be scary, especially if you’re worried about how people will react to your disability.

While you’re never required to discuss your disability, it’s possible you’ll encounter people at networking events who will ask questions about it. Prepare beforehand for dealing with questions.

If you want to or are comfortable talking about your disability, you might say: “I’ll be glad to share more.” The amount you choose to disclose is completely up to you. You can go into the details about the personal nature of your disability and how it has affected your professional life, but be careful not to overshare.

In situations where you don’t want to talk about your disability with others in networking situations, you can be gracious but direct with language such as: “It’s a personal issue that I share about as I get to know people more. I would love to chat about my professional experiences and my career journey before sharing more.”

You could also say: “Thank you for asking! My disability is a big part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me. I’d rather talk more about my successes in the workplace and everything I have to offer employers.” You can be blunt and firm without making people uncomfortable. Establish your boundaries and stick to them.

Preparing for interviews

Practice makes perfect. While it’s best not to over-rehearse answers to questions, talking about your disability should be something you have memorized before you walk into an interview. Be genuine and authentic, sharing the parts of your disability and experience in ways that feel comfortable to you.

Keep your explanation short and concise. In most situations, you can give a holistic explanation in about 30 to 60 seconds. Pivot the end of your answer toward the future – explaining how your disability will have no impact on your work performance and how it might even be an asset in the role.

The interview process is often the time to discuss reasonable accommodations. Be open to new ideas and solutions that might help you succeed in the role. You’ll likely have ideas about physical modifications, flexible work schedules, assistive or adaptive technologies, or job restructuring. The employer may also have ways to adapt the role, so make the discussion collaborative.

Utilizing social media

You may also find groups on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn with supportive communities of people who understand your situation. Make new connections and build relationships virtually – even starting conversations in the comments or through direct messages that you can move offline (either in person or on a phone or video call).

Mark Misiano

Professional Resume Writer (MBA, CPRW, CDCS)

Mark Misiano is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), Certified Digital Career Strategist (CDCS) and the owner of RésuméReady. He has helped over 1,000 professionals find fulfilling jobs, transition to new industries, and land big promotions. In addition to writing impactful résumés, Mark crafts engaging cover letters, optimizes LinkedIn profiles, prepares clients for interviews, and provides individualized career coaching.