Disabled college grads likely as peers to find jobs
CONCORD,N.H.(AP)— Recent college graduates with disabilities are as likely as their peers without disabilities to hold jobs, according to a national survey that suggests they have benefited from coming of age under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The survey by the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability being released recently also shows that recent college graduates with and without disabilities were equally likely to have prepared for careers by connecting with mentors and completing internships in college.
But, some differences emerged, though, once they landed jobs.
Recent graduates with disabilities were more likely to be hired as temporary or on-call workers, work fewer than 28 hours per week, hold jobs unrelated to their degrees, earn minimum wage and be looking for new work.
Graduates without disabilities were more likely to be hired as permanent employees, work 40 or more hours per week, hold jobs related to their degrees, earn at least $22 per hour and be satisfied in their jobs.
Still the results likely are a testament to the ADA, the 1990 civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in schools, jobs, transportation and other areas of public life, said Kimberly Phillips, an assistant professor and the survey’s lead investigators.
“That’s a big deal,” she said. “When you look at all college graduates, the employment rates are lower and there’s still more of an employment gap. But with the younger group, what we’re seeing is encouraging.”
Bryce Stanley, 24, a graduate student in economics at UNH, said he has had luck finding employers who will accommodate his disability, a sleep disorder.
“To be successful in the workplace, I just need the people I work with to be understanding. I don’t need huge accommodations, I just need a slightly different schedule for the day,” he said.
“I’ve been lucky to find bosses that have been like that.”
Among bachelor’s degree holders, survey participants with disabilities were more likely than those without disabilities to work in
“helping” professions, such as counseling, teaching and social work.
Michael Skibbie, policy director for the Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire, said the report’s findings confirm that when they are included, students with disabilities are serious about making good use of the opportunities they are given.
“There is much work to be done, but laws like the ADA and the (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) have undoubtedly made a difference in improving both the educational and employment opportunities for people with disabilities,” he said in an email.
Isadora Rodriguez-Legendre, executive director of the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities said the results highlight the importance of career-related internship opportunities.
“I am hopeful that this research will help bolster policies and initiatives that support students with disabilities in higher education so that we can continue to see progress in employment outcomes,” Rodriguez-Legendre said.