Advice From Alumni Who Have Disabilities

Five inspiring panelists shared their thoughts on succeeding in the internship and job search as a person with a disability. You can view the recording here. Below is a summary of the panelists’ advice. As you read their insights, keep in mind that there isn’t a one size fits all approach to navigating this process.

  • Interviews – practice ahead of time with friends or career coaches; shrug off any one-off negative reactions you may get; be clear and confident about what you can do; decide if you also want to be open about what you won’t be able to do because of your disability or condition
  • Accommodations – frame request as “these will help me do my job better and quicker”; brainstorm solutions jointly with your manager; try things and tweak as necessary
  • Coping during the job search and in new positions – humor; persistence; make connections; recognize and prevent/avoid triggers
  • Advocacy – learning to articulate needs and advocate for yourself with different people in different settings is an ongoing learning experience; it takes labor, energy, and bravery; some days you might have the energy to advocate and some days you might not
  • Community – find people you can trust and have a mutually supportive relationship with and then disclose your disability and adjust your approach based on how it went; try to understand how coworkers speak, think, and take in information
  • Assessing organizational culture ahead of time – ask the employer in an interview about how they would handle a hypothetical situation about access needs or about a negative experience you’ve had in the past

Final advice

  • Embrace your disability as a superpower because that will help you feel more empowered and because it gives you a different perspective to contribute in a workplace
  • Don’t self-filter and choose not to apply for jobs. Try! Put yourself out there.
  • Never give up. Own your story…your story can actually make you better at your job.
  • Focus on what you can control.
  • Manage your energy.
  • Give yourself grace.

By Briana Randall (She/Her)
Briana Randall (She/Her) Executive Director