Support for Students and Graduates with Disabilities
Personal Values and Career Choices
Identifying your work values....
Deciding which field of study you want to pursue, choosing particular subjects to study, and ultimately determining which professional area you want to work in, all set the context for deciding the range and types of jobs you will apply for. Your current interests, personal values, and career aspirations will lay the framework for much of your working life and it is important to find out how issues of disability and health feed into this decision-making process.
Naturally, most students/graduates with a disability desire...
Full participation and equality in the work force, as well as an interesting job and self-sufficiency. Such students may be ahead of others in planning for work because, in choosing and planning a course, they have already undertaken an analysis of their own capabilities and preferences. This is an important first step in any job search. Before entering your course, you have already had to assess your interests and capabilities, your strengths and limitations and the options in employment to which your course may lead.
In the past....
Students with a disability have often been limited in their career choices due to the small number of educational institutions that accommodated the needs of disabled people. However, more recently, educational bodies are required to provide reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities with a resultant increase in the scope of career choices. Students should be able to choose both a course and a university or TAFE which closely match their career goals irrespective of their disability or health problems.
While people with disabilities have frequently been stereotyped in regard to employment options...
Many graduates with disabilities have successfully challenged these imposed limitations and succeeded in new, exciting areas of employment. They have achieved their career goals through perseverance and appropriate accommodation in both study and employment. Awareness of Federal and State anti-discrimination legislation and equal employment opportunity policies may help to change stereotypical attitudes and responses to the employment of people with a disability. To find out about employment opportunities and potential problems, it may be useful to talk with others with a disability who have recently graduated and those who have been employed for some time. In addition, early discussion with Careers and Employment can provide information on vacation employment, general employment prospects and appropriate course options.
