Understanding the Average Career Timeline for Disabled Persons
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Understanding the Average Career Timeline for Disabled Persons
Disabled people are valuable members of the workforce, but the disabled population is still underrepresented across industries. In 2022, only 21.3% of American adults with a disability were employed.
Many disabilities make it difficult to participate in the traditional workforce. Physical disabilities can make it difficult to navigate the work environment or meet expectations to sit or stand for hours a day. Cognitive disabilities can impede an employee's ability to stay focused or tune out common distractions.
The career timeline from one disabled person to another will vary greatly. However, there are some trends to be aware of.
Read on to learn more about common trends in career development for disabled workers.
Slow and Steady Career Development
Many disabled workers develop their careers at a slower pace than non-disabled workers. This may be due to:
- Delays in completing a degree or certificate program
- Difficulty finding a suitable job (e.g., needing a remote position)
- Difficulty securing proper accommodations
- Discrimination in the hiring and promotion process
- The need to job-craft a suitable position within a company
- Hiatuses from work to attend to health needs
- The pursuit of self-employment
In America, we tend to associate career advancement with "grinding," the act of putting in long hours, hard work, and even social time to get ahead in a job. Many disabled workers rightfully will not sacrifice their needs in order to meet these expectations. This can lead to a slow and steady career development, which is becoming more socially acceptable thanks to disability rights activists and lawmakers.
Education and Career Advancement
Disabled workers are statistically less likely to hold leadership positions than non-disabled workers. Instead, many disabled workers remain in hourly, part-time, or supporting roles at work.
There are many reasons for this trend in the career timeline for disabled workers. Once again, discrimination can play a role. Disabled workers that require special accommodations may be overlooked when promotions arise.
However, there is one notable factor that also plays a contributing role. Over 41% of nondisabled people ages 25-34 hold a Bachelor's degree, compared to 19.1% of disabled people in that same age bracket. Lacking a formal degree can function as a barrier to many leadership positions.
Many of the same accessibility issues exist in higher education that we see in the workforce. Disabled students may not have the accommodations they need to attend classes or complete coursework. In order to meet the rigors of university life, they may take more than the typical four years to finish their degree.
SSDI and Income
Another glaring issue for disabled workers is the Social Security Disability Income limit. Many disabled workers rely on SSDI to make ends meet, cover the cost of healthcare, and retain stable housing. However, disabled workers will lose their SSDI if they exceed what is called substantial gainful activity (SGA).
The SGA in 2023 for non-blind disabled workers is $1470 per month. For blind disabled workers, the SGA is $2460 per month. Making even one dollar above this amount will cost disabled workers their SSDI, which often isn't an option.
The SGA may limit a disabled worker's ability to take promotions or work full-time hours. Unless a pay increase can meet or exceed the amount covered by SSDI, disabled workers receiving SSDI may have to pass up opportunities for career advancement.
How to Support Your Career Timeline
The process of setting career goals may look a little bit different for disabled workers than for non-disabled workers. However, we are seeing unprecedented advancements for disabled workers in the modern workforce. Let's take a look at some of the ways in which you can support your career timeline as a disabled worker.
Find a Supportive Work Environment
The reality is that not all jobs are right for all disabled workers. Like any employee, it's important to seek jobs that align with your experience, educational background, skills, and qualifications. However, it's also important to find a job that won't drastically impact your health, physical or mental.
We are constantly growing our job board for disabled workers. You can narrow down our database results by searching for jobs by location, title, company, or description. Our goal is to close the gap between disabled workers and employers who are ready and willing to provide appropriate accommodations.
Request Accommodations Upfront
Some disabled workers fear asking for accommodations because it will require them to disclose their disability. It's important to remember that disabled workers in the modern workforce are supported by the ADA. The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations that will increase equitable access to employment.
We recommend asking for accommodations soon after getting a job. Waiting until the lack of accommodations is impacting your performance can create unnecessary tension. Working for a period of time without accommodations can also set the unrealistic expectation that you can carry on without them.
Recognize Signs of Burnout
Burnout is the mental and physical fatigue that occurs when we are constantly exceeding our health-based limits. For many disabled workers, burnout isn't just a minor or temporary setback. It can lead to worsening health conditions and poor long-term outcomes.
Recognize the early signs of burnout, like exhaustion, high stress, and difficulty concentrating. Slow your pace as needed, removing yourself from "grind" culture. Preventing burnout can allow you to have a longer and happier career.
We're Here to Support Your Career Timeline
No two disabled workers will have the exact same career timeline, even when they share the same disability. By recognizing trends, however, disabled workers can set better career goals and non-disabled workers can join the fight for disability rights.
Are you ready to start looking for a new job? We're here to support you. Start by using our resume builder to sharpen your resume and showcase your skills.