by
Liam Harte, Guilderland High School (Guilderland, New York, USA)
There is a certain time in one's life, usually in high school, where the pressure really starts being placed on an individual to decide what he wants to do for a living. The answer to this question seems so important and so enduring that one is sometimes overwhelmed by the magnitude of the decision. Although this process can be very difficult for people, it may be even more complicated for persons with disabilities. A disability can occasionally pose as an obstacle in a person's choice for an occupation. Career counselors are people who help persons with and without disabilities to decide on careers and find jobs.
Career counselors help people to recognize the wide variety of occupations available and encourage their clients to explore their own interests before settling on a career path. Issues considered in career counseling include identifying an individual's primary areas of interest among realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional career interests. Clients are also helped to assess their level of social comfort. Are they a "people person" who would enjoy dealing with the public? Would they prefer working in small groups, or alone? The level of education an individual has, his or her motivation and ability to compete is also considered. Technical training, two and four year colleges and graduate and professional schools are among the possibilities. Clients are also asked to consider what their salary requirements and financial goals might be. For individuals with disabilities, technical adaptations required should also be explored. These are the building blocks of career choices.
However, self esteem and feelings of self-worth may be the all important foundations for these building blocks. "The most important thing, whether they have a disability or not, is how they feel about themselves." According to Toby Bickwheat, a University at Albany professor who teaches a course on career counseling for persons with disabilities, self-efficacy is the most important component in finding an occupation that one will enjoy. Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in his/her ability to accomplish a goal. That can be a major focus in the approach one takes for career counseling for persons with disabilities, as opposed to persons without. A disability may or may not hamper the chances of getting a certain job, but it may have been far more devastating in its effects on self-esteem, according to Bickwheat. If a person who is blind feels that he/she is unable to do anything because he/she has no sight, then that person will most probably end up doing nothing.
Thanks to technology though, some of the setbacks that disabilities might pose can be overcome. For instance, the vibrating beeper enables deaf people to be called to the office. There is new computer software which reads back what has been typed on the computer. This gives great economic opportunity to blind people.
The American with Disabilities Act has been vital in increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This act provided tax incentives for employers who hired people with disabilities. Although the tax credits lessen after the first few years for most of the jobs, the incentive allows people with disabilities to bring their skills and talents into the workforce. There is also a tax deduction for employers who remove barriers in the workplace to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. Many jobs are now open to people that were not available a few years ago. Career counselors can help people choose careers and inform them about the availability of many jobs, and about technological advances that make them more accessible.
Career counseling is available at most schools, and some corporations. Most guidance counselors have some career counseling training, but there are specialized career counselors as well. According to Bickwheat, when one is looking for jobs, with a counselor or alone, it is important not to downplay the skills that he/she has already acquired. There are skills that can be learned through washing the dishes or cleaning one's room. Even the most menial duties around the house can teach skills like organizational ability and time management. These skills can be used in the workplace. It is a mistake for a person to ignore those basic abilities. This goes back to the importance of self-efficacy. Counselors can help their clients to overcome the tendency to see themselves as unqualified, and to focus on strengths and possibilities.
Career counseling can play an important role in any person's quest for a fulfilling career. These clinicians can provide a valuable service for individuals with disabilities by assisting them in opening doors to many jobs and careers and providing valuable information about adaptations and technology that may allow their dreams to come true. In addition, society as a whole benefits because motivated personnel are building careers in their prospective fields.