College Organizations Networking Now Each Creating Ties (CONNECT):

Employment Resources

CONNECT Links:

Communities of Power Links:

Key Points for Employment

Looking for a job does not start when you get your diploma from college. Job seeking should start as soon as you enter college if not before. First you need to pick a field of study that supports your skills, interests, and abilities. Then you need to gain as much work experience as you can while in college to build your resume. Your college degree is only one small requirement for employment.

While in college it’s important that you gain work experience because it will help with your resume and to build a network to find a job. Networking will also help employers get to know you. Employers are more likely to hire people they are the most comfortable with. Internships, Service Learning, and Job Shadowing are all ways that can help with employment. Work experience also helps you to find out if you can perform the essential functions of a job with or without a reasonable accommodation, along with a way to practice disclosing your disability for an accommodation in the work place.

For more information reach your Career Service Office or Disability Support Office at your University.

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Ways to Build Your Resume

• Informational Interview:
  Informational interviews will help you gain personal insight into specific careers from people in the field. You can meet with people working in your areas of interest to ask questions about occupations, job duties, education requirements, qualifications, and companies.
  
• Job Shadowing:
  Job shadowing can provide you with a realistic view of one or more occupations. You would visit a business to observe the everyday functions of your occupational area of interest.
  
• Internship:
  An internship is a time-limited, intensive learning experience outside the traditional classroom. You would work in a supervised learning situation, paid or non-paid, with an employer doing planned learning activities.
  
• Service Learning:
  You provide community service in volunteer positions. These programs increase the relevancy of academic learning by giving you the opportunities to apply knowledge and skills while making meaningful contributions.
  
• Independent Study:
  Some universities allow independent study. As a student you would work one-on-one with individual teachers to develop projects for credit. Projects ran range from research papers to work experience within your field of interest.

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Reasonable Accommodation

The ADA requires that an employer provide a reasonable accommodation that will allow a qualified applicant or employee to perform the essential functions of the position. A qualified applicant or employee with a disability is a person who, with or without reasonable accommodations, can perform the essential functions of the job. (See: Accommodation and Disclosure below)

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Disclosing Your Disability

You have to disclose your disability to access your rights for reasonable accommodation under the ADA. An employer can not ask you about your disability only if you can perform the core function of your job with or without an accommodation. Disclosing your disability is when you tell someone about your disability. You can choose to disclose your disability at any time during the employment process when you need an accommodation. When you disclose your disability it is private and your employer is not to tell anyone. When disclosing your disability you may want to tell your employer general information about your disability, types of job accommodations that have worked in the past for you, and how your disability has positively affected your work performance. Most importantly, keep the focus on your abilities." (see Accommodation and Disclosure below)

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Your Rights under the ADA.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects you from discrimination in all employment practices, including: job application procedures, hiring, firing, training, pay, promotion, benefits, and leave. You also have a right to be free from harassment because of your disability, and an employer may not fire or discipline you for asserting your rights under the ADA. Most importantly, you have a right to request a reasonable accommodation for the hiring process and on the job. For more information contact the Michigan ADA Steering Committee and/or the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible Information Technology Center.

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Web Resources:

Menu: Internships | Employment | Accommodation and Disclosure | Employment-Related Information | Scholarships .

Internship Opportunities

• American Association of People with Disabilities:
  Federal Information Technology Internship Program Allows students with disabilities to get first-hand work experience in legislative and political processes by working in congressional offices. Will get to meet disability policy community and national disability leaders through seminars and special events.
  
• Entry Point!
  Offers internship opportunities for students with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fiends of business.
  
• Michigan Internship:
  Search the listing of employers with internship opportunities for the state of Michigan and learn about the job before you apply.
  
• Workforce Recruitment Program:
  Helps provide summer work experience, and some times full-time employment, for college students with disabilities. Partners with federal agencies to help provide work experiences.

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Employment Opportunities:

• Hire Disability:
  Job board on the Internet for people with disabilities to search for jobs. Free of charge to look for employment and post resume.
  
• Job Access:
  Anyone can seek employment with confidence they will be hired based on their skills and work experience. JobAcess also has an area were you can build your resume.
  
• National Business and Disability Council:
  Post resumes online and look for employment opportunities through their member organizations.
  
• Work Support:
  Information, resources, and research about work and disability issues.

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Accommodation and Disclosure:

• Job Accommodation Network:
  Provides information on many topics related to disabilities. Examples are disability specific accommodations ideas, facts sheets on disability, and accommodation ideas in education and laws that effect people with disabilities.
  
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth:
  411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities
  
• To Disclose or Not to Disclose? What are the Pros and Cons?
  Transcript from an audio conference by the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible Information Technology Center.
  
• Reasonable Accommodation for People with Mental Illness:
  How do you decide what to disclose and what to request as an accommodation.

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Employment-Related Information

• U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy:
  Up-to-date information on employment policy, topics, and events that effect people with disability.
  
• A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment.
  Provides information about your rights under the American with Disabilities Act and what you need to know about reasonable accommodation at the work place.
  
• Disability Information:
  Helps connect people with disabilities to resources and information to pursue equal access to all the opportunity available to all citizens.

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Scholarships for People with Disabilities:

Scholarship for everyone going to college

If you are person with a disability you can receive scholarship that are not disability-related. For example if you are in band there may be a scholarship for band members.

• http://www.finaid.org.
• http://www.srnexpress.com.
• http://www.fastaid.com.
• http://www.collegenet.com

Scholarship for people with disabilities going to college:

• http://www.finaid.org/search/htdig/htsearch.cgi.
• http://www.findtuition.com.
• http://www.finaid.org.
• http://www.parentsinc.org/finaid/finaid.html
• Lilly Reintegration Scholarship:
  Available to Students that have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder.Application due January 13
• National MS Society Scholarship Program:
  Available to students with MS.Application due February 16.
• FANTeen Scholarship :
  Available to students with food allergies. Application due March 1.
• Ryan Mullaly Second Chance Fund:
  Available to students who were diagnosed or recurrence of cancer occurred between the ages of 13 and graduation from high school. Applications are accepted from March 1 till May 31, 2006
• SBAA One-Year Scholarship
  Available to students with Spina Bifida. Applications due March 1
• Multiple Scholarships from the National Federation for the Blind
  Available to students who are legally blind. Applications due March 31

Other Places to Find Scholarships:

• Local Library in your high school
• Local Library in your community
• College Financial Aid Office

Michigan Merit Award

The Michigan Merit Award is available to students who score at Level 1 or Level 2 on four MEAP tests. Students may also qualify if they score at Level 1 or Level 2 on two MEAP tests and have at least a 24 composite on the ACT test. This nonrenewable award is for $2,500. For more information contacted at (888) 956.3748 or at www.MeritAward.State.mi.us or madhs@sbcglobal.net.

Michigan Competitive Scholarship

Students who achieve a qualifying score on the ACT and have their scores submitted to the State of Michigan may be considered for the scholarship. Qualifying scores are determined by the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority (MHEAA) each year. In the past few years the score has been set at 23. Students must be a Michigan resident, enroll for 6 or more credits, and demonstrate financial need. Financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form can be received at your college financial aid office. Your FAFSA award letter will show if you have received the scholarship. Inquiries regarding the Competitive Scholarship Program may be directly to (888) 447.2687 or treasscholgrant@state.mi.us

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This page made possible through partial funding from the Michigan ADA Steering Committee, a branch of the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible Information Technology Center (800) 949-4232.

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