Jobs for people with disabilities represent positions suitable for individuals who struggle with performing regular daily activities due to specific physical or mental conditions they have.
These roles offer the people in these vulnerable groups the opportunity to choose a comfortable work environment where they can provide a maximum contribution based on their strengths. This is especially important since, in certain communities, some people with disabilities may struggle to find a proper job due to biases and stereotypes.
This guide highlights the best careers for people with disabilities and offers professional career advice on landing these jobs. So, if you’re currently struggling with finding a suitable role due to your condition, keep reading!
Key Takeaways
- Landing a job for disabled people means finding adequate employment that will allow such individuals to work without hindrance.
- Some trending jobs for people with disabilities include the positions of video game developer, accountant, HR, writer, telemarketer, and painter.
- These individuals can facilitate job search by seeking employment on job boards and joining communities that support their minority group.
- Building a resume that will feature their best skills and thoroughly preparing for the interview are great ways for disabled people to stand out from the crowd on the job market.
14 Jobs for People with Disabilities + Requirements and Salaries
Let’s have a look at this comprehensive list of jobs for people with disabilities, see their biggest advantages, and learn what the average salaries for these roles are:
#1. Accountant
Accounting is one of the most popular work-from-home jobs for disabled individuals, as the roles within it don’t require physical work. Besides that, there are also many remote positions in this field, so by choosing one of them, these individuals can adapt their work environment according to their own needs.
In addition to the variety of remote accountant positions, most of these roles do not involve much human interaction. Plus, as remote work and limited interaction prevent overcrowding and overstimulation, this is one of the suitable jobs for people with anxiety.
Lastly, if you find the accountant’s average annual salary range of $58,546—$79,880 attractive, it might be a good sign that you should pursue a career in this field.
#2. HR Roles
Working in human resources allows physically disabled people to enhance a company’s working productivity by using strong communication skills, patience, and positivity.
HR roles commonly include searching for suitable candidates, screening them for open positions, and conducting interviews. All of this can be done remotely or in accessible workplaces with special equipment for disabled individuals, which is a plus for them.
Moreover, due to the nature of the job, which revolves around digital work (phone and online interviews, online candidate screening), this is an excellent remote role. The annual median salary ranges between $67,650 and $136,350, depending on the specific HR role.
#3. Programmer
The IT industry features many jobs for people with disabilities, as this type of employment excludes physical labor. Specifically, it allows you to sit by your computer in a peaceful environment and use your coding and bug-fixing skills with minimal physical activity.
Moreover, most of the highest-paying IT jobs, such as full-stack developers, are often remote, making it easier to function if commuting is a setback for you. Not to mention the financial benefits—on average, programmers earn from $65,000 to $99,000 per year, which is a considerable amount of money.
#4. Graphic Designer
Being a graphic designer requires creativity and technical skills, a sharp eye for visual details, knowledge of different graphic concepts, and mental engagement. Because of this, it’s a great opportunity for people who have hearing problems and physical disabilities but possess these skills.
Additionally, people who struggle with severe anxiety may also find this job appealing, as it does not require a lot of direct communication with other people. The salary for this position ranges between $58,910 and $77,570 per year and varies depending on one’s qualifications and the living standards in different locations.
#5. Video Game Developer
Video game development requires an imaginative spirit and passion for this type of entertainment. While it’s mentally demanding, it is also a great job for people with ADHD because it requires multitasking, open-mindedness, and a dynamic-loving nature.
Additionally, physically challenged individuals, such as people with cerebral palsy, can do this job because it excludes physical labor. Besides that, using computers or similar devices as primary tools enables people who cannot work in offices without special equipment to land this job.
Another positive aspect is that the annual salary for this position is somewhat beyond average, ranging from $89,000 to $110,000.
#6. Writer
Physically impaired individuals and people with anxiety who possess great writing skills can seek a job within the writing niche. For instance, they can become script or SEO content writers or engage in novel or poetry writing, depending on the type of work they prefer. Plus, they can even land industry-related jobs for multilinguals if they know more than one language.
Writing jobs require peace and quiet for concentration, brainstorming, and creativity flow, meaning that they are a fit for remote workers, including disabled ones. Such working conditions usually reduce anxiety and enhance conformity, which makes these roles more enjoyable for them.
As for the salary benefits, they vary according to the specific writer’s role:
- Copywriter—$67,209—$77,674 a year
- Content Writer—$62,060-$76,300 per year
- Authors—$64,977-$73,690 annually
#7. Video Editor
People who suffer from severe anxiety or similar medical conditions that are considered a disability can consider a career in video editing, as it does not involve a lot of meetings and other highly interactive events.
This position is often remote and excludes physical engagement. Due to this, it’s suitable for those who need special aids when working, as it eliminates the need to transport these to workplaces. Additionally, the salary range is $49,540 and $75,100 per year.
#8. Customer Service Representative
A customer service representative role can be a great job for people with disabilities, depending on their special needs. For example, people with visual impairments would be more suitable for customer support agent roles that include answering calls only. Meanwhile, people with hearing problems can land roles that revolve around text-based support.
The role can also be remote, as all it takes is a stable internet connection and communication equipment. It’s a nice fit for those who possess strong empathy, problem-solving, and flawless communication skills, and it can bring a median salary between $39,680 and $43,879 per year.
#9. Telemarketer
The telemarketer role involves calling potential customers and presenting products in order to convince them to buy them. It can be a great job opportunity for visually impaired people with great communication, active listening, and persuasion skills.
Even if they cannot learn much about products through direct visual contact, people with visual disabilities can familiarize themselves with these in other ways (e.g., speak with a voice assistant). Such individuals can also use text-to-speech for product descriptions, which they will later present to buyers.
Since this job requires standard calling equipment only, these people can work anywhere, which benefits them since they may find commuting challenging. As for the salary for telemarketers, it is similar to that of customer service representatives ($34,480–$54,700 a year).
#10. Research Assistant
A research assistant position may be a nice fit for those with hearing impairments since it usually revolves around performing research on a computer, which is a visually oriented task. People who do this job also need to use different search and data analysis tools, requiring overall good computer skills.
Additionally, not many jobs for people with disabilities allow for career advancement. In contrast, research assistants can typically earn higher academic or industry positions more easily than others. Still, with a salary range of $52,469 to $56,400 per year, this role belongs to medium-paying jobs.
#11. Gardener
Individuals with partial or complete hearing disability can do physical jobs that are visually oriented, such as gardening. Professionals holding this role use tools such as trimmers and scissors to maintain green areas, plant flowers and trees, and care for the lawns or hedges.
Gardening also offers disabled people a chance to work in different environments (e.g., indoor container gardening using hydroponics or raised beds). Doing this job brings the opportunity to earn an average salary between $30,440 and $51,522 a year.
#12. Painter
Artistic professions, including painting, can also be great job opportunities for people with disabilities. This type of art is exceptionally fitting for people with learning disabilities, as it allows them to join the creative side and forget about intense mental activities.
Although painters who join academies may also need to study theory, the most important aspects of this job are talent and creativity. Because of this, people with Down syndrome, dyslexia, alexia, and similar medical conditions can largely benefit from engaging in such roles and build a splendid artistic career.
Additionally, those who find this job interesting can expect $40,772 to $56,084 annually.
#13. Packer
Jobs that require mechanical work, like packaging, can be ideal for people with learning disabilities, too. The key responsibilities of packers include filling boxes and parcels appropriately and ensuring that they are well-preserved and sealed.
This job is easy to grasp, as it doesn’t involve any theory; over time, individuals with obstructed learning abilities become familiar with packaging materials and essential tools. The longer they work on the position, the better they get because they develop muscle memory over time.
Speaking of compensation, the average salary rate for those working as packers ranges from $34,830 to $40,538 per year.
#14. Parking Attendant
The parking attendant role includes a series of repetitive tasks such as distributing tokens, opening the parking gate, charging people who use parking lots, and even parking cars. None of the aforementioned duties require high mental activity, making it the right job for people with learning disabilities.
The annual compensation range for parking attendants is between $30,570 and $39,771, which is lower than most jobs for people with special needs but also requires less effort.
3 Useful Tips on How to Find Disability-Friendly Jobs
To find disability-friendly jobs, you should look for companies hiring people with disabilities, engage in networking, join organizations that help your minority group, and get some interview and resume tips.
Let’s examine these tactics in more detail:
#1. Check Job Boards
Once you discover what type of job suits you most, you can speed up the job hunting process using job boards. You should search for reliable and scam-free ones that feature companies and businesses for disabled people specifically.
Let’s check the best job boards offering on-site, hybrid, and remote jobs for disabled workers:
- Evenbreak
- disABLEDperson
- AbilityJOBS
- Disability Solutions
- Enable America
- Disability Job Exchange
- Getting Hired
- Chronically Capable
- CareerCast
- USAJobs
#2. Start Networking and Join Advocacy Organizations
Attending networking events is a great way to broaden your horizons and share your experience with others. This way, you can also establish new connections that can help you find employment more easily (e.g., get job recommendations and referrals).
In addition to networking, you should also join organizations that help people with disabilities. Namely, while institutions such as APSE, the ARC, and the National Council on Disability are not job boards, they can assist people with disabilities in finding employment.
Lastly, you can look for government programs for disabled job seekers, such as the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) and Ticket to Work Program. These can connect you to federal government agencies, allowing you to find internships and other employment types.
#3. Build Your Resume and Prepare for Potential Interviews
A good resume and the impression you leave on an interview will help you stand out from other candidates. This includes choosing a suitable resume format and adding all the relevant sections that showcase your best skills and professional experience (if you have any).
When adding skills to a resume, focus only on the job-related ones and mention them throughout the document. This will make your resume ATS-friendly, which further increases your chances of landing an interview.
Besides that, if recruiters do invite you to the next stage of the hiring process, you should research the company and practice highlighting your best skills by answering some common interview questions.
And finally, another practical interview tip is to prepare questions regarding special conditions for disabled people. For instance, you can ask whether an employer provides special accessibility tools, such as ramps and ergonomic workstations. Similarly, you should check for flexibility in working hours, self-pacing, special training, and a friendly, inclusive culture in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
Depending on the condition they have, people with disabilities may consider positions across many fields, including the IT, graphic design, writing, and video editing industries.
If you belong to this minority group, you can facilitate the job-hunting process by joining job boards, agencies, and organizations for disabled people. Also, perfecting your resume and interview skills will help you land a job you want more easily. And if you keep in mind all the tips we provided you with and do your best to present yourself in the best light possible, the process will be much simpler!
Jobs for People With Disabilities FAQ
#1. Where do most people with disabilities work?
Most people with disabilities work in the management, business, and financial industries. Additionally, some of them also find employment in computer, mathematical, architectural, engineering, library, and healthcare fields.
#2. How to make money when disabled?
To make money when disabled, you can seek employment according to your unique needs on job boards and join organizations that advocate for people with incapacities. Your chances of landing the desired job will increase if you also work on improving your skills and building a standout resume.
#3. What are easy jobs for disabled adults?
Easy jobs for disabled adults are the ones that do not require much physical or learning activity, depending on the medical condition one has. For example, jobs in the IT industry might be a good choice for physically incapacitated individuals, whereas mechanical jobs in the accommodation industry could be a better fit for intellectually disabled people.
