Your life doesn’t stop when living with a physical disability, and you’re still going to need to provide for yourself if no one else can do it for you. These best jobs for people with physical disabilities come from industries that offer rewarding roles whether you’ve had to make a drastic career change due to a disability or have always had a disability. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, you can’t be discriminated against by an employer for having a disability, meaning those with disabilities have many more options than they did before.
Writer Positions
As a position that allows you to work from home in some cases, becoming a content writer for blogging or news websites is an option that you can take if you have a physical disability. These writers will spend long stretches of time on the computer and typically aren’t required to move around. Writing professional blogs doesn’t require higher education so much as it does relevant writing experience, though a bachelor’s degree doesn’t hurt. Writing positions are growing in popularity and can provide an enriching environment for you to grow a potential career.
You can also start your own blog or writing career if you prefer to be self-employed. Reading about your life experiences could be valuable to anyone who would happen upon your writing and may share similar experiences.
Truck Driver
One of the more unique careers that you can take on with a physical disability is truck driving. It may surprise you how many truck drivers are physically disabled or have become physically disabled and continued working after being retrained. Truckers will install technologically advanced modifications into the chassis that allow them to do their job. Some of these technologies are wheelchair lifts, hand controls, and pedal or steering wheel extensions. If you want to drive across the country while performing a valuable and essential task, consider becoming a licensed truck driver.
Teaching and Tutoring
Though it requires further education, one of the best jobs for people with physical disabilities is none other than becoming a teacher. If your dream is to become a role model for children or an inspirational college professor, your physical disability will not get in the way—the world of education can be a truly inclusive and welcoming space.
If you were an expert in a career field before acquiring a disability, your career doesn’t have to end. Consider training others to work in the same position that you did before the disability. As long as it doesn’t require you to perform the task to train them, your experience will still be valuable to the company’s training procedure.