Oct 23 min read

Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Intro

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Discover why the opportunity to be employed is so important for all individuals. Learn about some of the possibilities in the Pittsburgh area for individuals with intellectual disabilities. .

Benefits:

Of course, employment gives us the opportunity to make money, but being employed is about so much more than just the paycheck. Here are some other benefits to employment especially for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Interpersonal Benefits:

Friendship: Not only is a job a way to make new friends, but you will meet people whom you have a shared experience with right off the bat.
Belonging: Being part of a team at work means that you are needed and are important to others.
Understanding the Needs of Others: You may be helping customers or supporting other staff members. People may have specific needs whether it’s something concrete like allergies if you are serving food or something more abstract like a different communication style. Learning how to be adaptable in these types of situations can go a long way in many situations in life.
Exposure and Learning About Others’ Ways of Doing Things: Learning from others is so important. You may learn better ways of doing things you already know how to do. Or you may encounter differences in opinion about how something should be done. Knowing how to deal with conflict is such a valuable skill to have.
Socializing: Having interactions with the same and/or new people on a regular basis can help boost your mood and help to decrease feelings of loneliness.

Intrapersonal benefits:

Feelings of self worth: Contributing to a team can make you feel needed and valued.
Sense of accomplishment: Completing tasks and being able to look back at what you have accomplished is such a great feeling.
Structure & Stability: Having a stable job can help you find something to anchor yourself to when other things in your life may seem a little unstable.
Learning New Skills: At work, you can learn new skills that will benefit you in many other areas of your life.
Independence: Being able to learn new skills and earn money can mean there are more things you will be able to accomplish on your own.
Gain Confidence: Being able to participate in all of the benefits listed above can give you a huge boost in confidence.

Things to consider when looking for a job

Think of something you like to do or are passionate about and try to find a job that incorporates it.
Don’t just take the job that pays most. You should get paid what you are worth, but choosing a job just for the money can lead to becoming unhappy in the end and not being able to see it through.
Make sure you connect with the company and the people you get to work with. This will be so important to being able to form friendships and work harmoniously together.
Be sure you will be able to have reliable transportation to the location and that it’s not so far that you could face burn out from having a long commute
Be sure the job aligns with your personal goals for growth as a person.
Don’t take on more than you can handle. Do you feel confident you can learn the new skills and do you maybe know some of the skills already? Are the hours they are asking you to work right for you? It can be tempting to take on more hours than you can handle and then you could get burned out and have to miss time at work.
Don’t get discouraged. It could take a few tries before you are offered a job. Maybe there is a lot of competition or the company has a specific person in mind as the perfect fit.
Know your skills - identify your strengths so you can be confident when applying and interviewing for jobs
Every job has a learning curve and it may take you a while to get your footing and feel confident.
Be open minded