Job Hunting in Today’s WorldInformationof interest topeople withdisabilitiesand otherspecial needsand theirfamilies.

“When it comes to job hunting and employment, there’s a great deal toconsider that’s related to finances,” says Kevin Paasch, a Special CarePlanner with Commonwealth Financial Partners, LC (www.cfp-vip.com),in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual LifeInsurance Company (MassMutual). “If you don’t have a financial strategy,it’s a great time to begin putting one together. But if you do, it’s importantto review it with your financial professional before beginning your jobsearch. Earning an income may affect government benefits you might bereceiving, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) orSupplemental Security Income (SSI), as well as other aspects of yourstrategy.”

“If you receive government benefits, you should also talk to your caseworker or a representative at your local Social Security Administrationoffice,” recommends Paasch. If you have expenses for assistive technology,which may be covered under your Medicare or Medicaid insurance, thoseexpenses may not be included in a health insurance plan offered by anemployer. However, you may qualify to continue to receive Medicare orMedicaid benefits.

“Think, also, about other expenses you might have if you’re employed,”Paasch adds. “What products, services, or assistive technology will youneed to get to and from work and perform the tasks of your job?” It helpsto imagine yourself going through an ordinary day of work – waking,getting washed and dressed, having breakfast, traveling to work, doingyour job, taking coffee and meal breaks, and coming home. Then think

about the a-typical day, the expectations youremployer might occasionally ask of you, suchas travel, off-site meetings, or attending classesor training sessions.

Your expenses might include transportation,retrofitting a vehicle to make it accessible, meals,clothing or uniforms, parking, and the cost ofa personal care assistant. If you’re consideringself-employment or working at home, you mighthave to purchase office equipment, businesssupplies, and furniture.

“The best recommendation I can make is todo your research,” advises Paasch. “Learn aboutyour rights as a worker who’s disabled, knowhow to create a great resume and interview well,and research the programs, services, andemployment opportunities that are availableto you.”

The following Web sites will help you to getstarted and provide information to key issuesyou may face. But it’s by no means all-inclusive.As with most Web browsing, one site will leadyou to many more that could be useful to you.

Your rights

www.ucp.org/ucp_channelsub.cfm/1/17/105This is the United Cerebral Palsy’s Web site

page with a list of and links to documents aboutthe rights, concerns, and issues of workerswith disabilities.www.nichcy.org/laws/other/pages/assis-

tivetechnologyact.aspxFind out everything you need to know about

the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, whichwas last amended in 2004.

SSA benefits and programs

www.ssa.gov/work/receivingbenefits.htmlIf you’re between 18 and 65 years old and

receiving SSDI or SSI benefits, visit this site tolearn more about the Social SecurityAdministration’s (SSA’s) Ticket to Work Program,its training and employment opportunities, andhow your benefits might be affected if you work.

Are you looking for a job? Where do you begin?What opportunities are available for you? Whatsupport systems will you have? What expensesmight you have if you get a job? How willearning an income affect government benefitsyou may be receiving?

The job market for people with disabilities isbeginning – beginning – to look better. In theprevious issue of this magazine, we discussedhow the growing emphasis on meeting theeducational needs of children with disabilities ispushing the development of new and improvedvocational and residential opportunities forthem as they transition from school into adult-hood. In this article, we want to focus the lighton employment, whether it be getting a first jobor returning to work after an injury or illness.

www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/pass.htmHere you’ll find information about the SSA’s Plan to Achieve Self-

Support (PASS) program for SSI recipients who want to return to work.

www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/introduction.htmThe SSA’s Red Book, developed for educators, advocates, rehabilitation

professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities whowant to work, is also useful as a self-help guide for SSI or SSDI recipients.Be sure to confirm your understanding of what you learn with a SSArepresentative or your case worker before you implement any back-to-work actions to ensure that you won’t unintentionally jeopardize thebenefits you currently receive.

General employment

www.disaboomjobs.com/Find employers (and let them find you) on this Web site created

specifically for people with disabilities who are looking for a job (eitherat home or outside the home). You’ll also find useful information ifyou’re considering self-employment.

www.dol.gov/odep/index.htmThis is the federal government’s Office of Disability Employment

Policy Web site, which offers a wealth of information about governmentsupports for employers and workers with disabilities. It includes links tohelpful programs and organizations, such as the Job AccommodationNetwork (www.askjan.org/), which can answer your questions aboutworkplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act, andrelated legislation.

Work at home

www.gettinghired.com/Getting Hired is an organization dedicated to helping employers,

service providers, job seekers, and advocacy organizations increaseemployment opportunities for more people with disabilities. Take their“Getting Hired Tour” to see how you might benefit by their services. Clickon “Advocacy Organizations” at the bottom of the home page for linksto organizations, such as Easter Seals and the American Foundation forthe Blind, to learn what they might offer to help you in your search foremployment.

www.nticentral.org/about-nti.shtmNational Telecommuting Institute, Inc. is a

non-profit company that hires, trains, andmonitors people who are disabled who want towork from home as online and phone customerservice reps for the federal government, Fortune500 corporations, and smaller businesses.

www.lift-inc.org/default.aspHere’s the site for Lift, Inc., a non-profit

organization that provides programs and servicesto help information technology and informationmanagement job seekers with disabilities buildtheir skills and employability and find jobswith employers. The site includes current jobopenings and a list of corporate clients thathave hired IT professionals through Lift, Inc.

Work in the artsIf you’d like to work in the arts world,

explore the support these organizations offer:

www.nadc.ucla.edu/careers.cfmThe National Arts and Disability Center

www.vsarts.org/x621.xmlVSA Arts

www.nea.gov/resources/Accessibility/artsnCareers_top.html

The National Endowment for the Arts

Assistive Technology

www.ataporg.org/atap/index.phpThe Association of Assistive Technology Act

Programs is a national organization thatprovides information and support to those whowork in state departments that offer help to itsresidents. While the site is not intended for useby the general population, it will give you thename of the program in your state or U.S.territory and its director’s contact informationwhen you click on where you live.

www.abledata.com/abledata.cfmAmong other things, Able Data’s Web site

has lists of AT products for daily living, school,and work, along with companies that sellthe products.

HELPWANTED

Resumes and CVswww.jobsearch.about.com/cs/curriculumvi-

tae/f/cvresume.htm

Learn the difference between a resume anda curriculum vitae (CV) and check out links toadditional sites that provide tips on writingresumes and CVs as well as examples of variousstyles.

People work for personal satisfaction, for asense of belonging, to make a contribution tofamily and society, to earn money and improvefinances, to learn new things and meet people,and for a variety of other reasons. Whateveryour motivation, be sure to plan ahead. Beaware of emerging trends to support workerswho are disabled, review your current andpotential financial situation, research youropportunities, and find the best employmentfit for you.

Reprinted with the expressed consent and approval of Exceptional Parent, a monthly magazine for families and professionals dealing with individuals with disabilities and special health care needs.Digital Subscription cost is $19.95 per year for 12 issues. Call (800) 372-7368. Offices at 416 Main Street, Johnstown, PA 15901 ©2010

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA. www.massmutual.com. MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name forMassachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives.

MassMutual has carried the Exceptional Parent (EP)Symbol of Excellence since receiving it in 2004 inrecognition of its commitment and service to peoplewith disabilities and other special needs and their families.

The Special Care Planner receives advanced trainingand information in estate and tax planning concepts,special needs trusts, government programs, and theemotional dynamics of working with people withdisabilities and other special needs and their families.The certificate program is offered by The AmericanCollege in Bryn Mawr, PA, exclusively for MassMutualfinancial professionals. State insurance departmentsrecognize that the Special Care Planner certificateprogram provides essential information on theprofession of special care by granting continuingeducation (CE) credits (varies by state).

A Special Care Planner through MassMutual’sSpecialCareSM program can assist parents in draftingLetters of Intent and can help make a difference in thequality of life for an individual with special needs, theircaregiver and other family members. Through SpecialCareyou will learn valuable financial strategies, identifyfinancial strategy solutions, access vital information, andmeet certified specialists who will work with you andyour professional advisors – your banker, accountant orfinancial planner, lawyer, social workers and health careproviders – to review your financial picture and offeroptions to fit the needs of each situation. For moredetails, visit MassMutual’s website athttp://www.MassMutual.com/specialcare, or call1-(800)-272-2216.

AAbboouutt MMaassssMMuuttuuaallMassMutual Financial Group is the marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company(MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. Assets under management include assetsand certain external investment funds managedby MassMutual's subsidiaries.

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a mutually owned financial protection, accumulation and income manage-ment company headquartered in Springfield, Mass.MassMutual’s major affiliates include:OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; Babson Capital ManagementLLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone RealEstate Advisers LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., memberFINRA and SiPC (www.finra.org and www.sipc.org),MassMutual International LLC and The MassMutual TrustCompany, FSB. MassMutual is on the Internet atwww.massmutual.com.

The information provided is not written or intended astax or legal advice and may not be relied on for purposesof avoiding any Federal tax penalties. MassMutual, itsemployees and representatives are not authorized togive tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged toseek advice from their own tax or legal counsel.Individuals involved in the estate planning processshould work with an estate planning team, includingtheir own personal legal or tax counsel.

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