Jobs outside the box for people with physical disabilities
There can be many barriers to finding meaningful employment, and physical disability is right up there among them. Someone who relies on a wheelchair for mobility may seek opportunities that don’t involve inaccessible terrain or venues (think tiered stadiums, open cut mines or multi-storey buildings with no lifts) So perhaps we need to think outside the box when it comes to our career options. But let’s start at the beginning.
What is a physical disability?
Disability Australia Hub defines a physical disability as a condition that affects a person’s physical functioning including their mobility, dexterity or stamina.
National Disability Services (NDS), Australia’s peak body for non-government disability service organisations, says physical disability often includes impairments of the neuromusculoskeletal systems including paraplegia, quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease, cerebral palsy, absence or impairment of limbs, spina bifida, arthritis, ataxia, and scoliosis.
It also can include sensory disabilities such as vision loss or impairment, hearing loss or impairment, and speech and language impairment. The broad definition of physical disability also includes other disorders that cause, among other things, sleep deficiency, chronic fatigue or pain, and seizure syndromes such as epilepsy.
What are the barriers to working with a physical disability?
Apart from the obvious barriers in terms of what our physical disabilities limit us doing – ie vision loss is a pretty big barrier to being a licensed bus driver – people living with a disability also face obstacles such as other people’s perceptions of what we can and can’t do, or a lack of policies and practices that allow for adaptable and inclusive workplaces.
What kind of jobs are suited to physical disabilities?
The question should really be what jobs are not suited to people with physical disabilities because, outside the obvious exclusions – our blind licensed bus driver for example – advances in assistive technologies can sometimes mean the sky is the limit. And given we now have driverless trains, even our blind licensed bus driver might one day be possible!
People living with a disability have rewarding careers in fields from academia, the arts, science and medical research, teaching, counselling, accounting, administration and clerical services, law, logistics, media, and politics … there are so many options. Especially with the rise of remote working, many people living with physical disabilities have more opportunities than ever.
Some key areas in which remote or accessible work opportunities are growing include:
- IT – more people using technology at home means more technology – and tech support – is needed;
- Counselling – even if this is not your expertise, many counsellors themselves are in need of administrative assistance;
- Accounting – many people who have started a business or moved to freelance work need help balancing their books;
- Call centre/customer support – while many functions have moved online, people still need someone to call when they encounter a problem.
How we can help
At AimBig Employment, our experts have been achieving successful employment outcomes for people with a disability for more than 24 years. We understand disability and how it can affect employment opportunities – and we have experience helping people identify their employable skills and abilities.
AimBig Employment is the only Australian provider specialising in musculoskeletal conditions – offering additional specialist expertise through our MyDirection program to help people build on their mobility, stamina and confidence and pain management at work. Our expert team can also identify what equipment you may need in your role, and work with your employer to ensure modifications are made.
