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A degree in disability studies prepares students for a vast array of career opportunities working in the field of disability. As awareness and acknowledgment of the disabled has progressed, so too has the size of the workforce concerned with disability. If you are looking for some good ideas on how to use that disability studies degree after graduation and enter this work field, we have some helpful info here. Read on as we highlight five, great job opportunities for those with this valuable degree.
Developmental Disabilities Case Manager
Developmental delays can occur in all people, from childhood through adulthood. These delays can be of mental and physical natures and can vary greatly in severity. The families of these individuals typically seek the expertise of an outside organization so as to help manage and improve the disability. The developmental disabilities case manager is the professional responsible for managing the cases of these people. The disabled are seen as patients, and thus interactively and progressively managed by the case manager.
Director of Disability Services
The ADA is a government organization that enforces and maintains disability law. It is critical that every establishment operate to ADA standards or risk severe penalization. The director of disability services is an establishment’s advocate and maintainer of ADA standards and practice throughout the entire establishment and its properties. This pivotal management position oversees all signage, accessibility issues, ramps, parking, on-site communications accommodations, and more. Through this director, the employing college, hospital, or private company can be assured of its own compliance.
Researcher
We live in a time in which we are constantly learning. Research is the scientific tool by which we can do this and really get it right. The degree-holder in disability study is a great match for research positions pertaining to disabilities. There are so many things to research here: sociological aspects, efficacy of disability standards in various settings, travel and disability, pathways to overcoming different disabilities, and much more. As a disabilities researcher, the graduate lends a critical hand in our future understandings of these matters.
Direct Support Professional
A direct support professional is one who provides therapeutic and assistive services at ground-level to those in need. Typically working under the guidance and planning of a case manager, the direct support professional is the one in the field teaching and assisting the disabled clientele and their families with self-sufficiency, healthy habits, ways to work with disability, and so on. This is a great job for those that enjoy hands-on work and directly witnessing the rewards of their daily endeavors.
Special Education Teacher
The qualifications for getting hired as a special education teacher vary based on facility and locality. In many cases though, a bachelor’s in disability study will unlock the door to this degree path. As a special education teacher, your job is to teach students with various disabilities. The material taught is a mixture of typical school subjects as well as personal skills and wellness habits. Not only is this teacher a critical part of the learner’s scholastic education, but they are also an integral part in their personal development and life-skills as well.
Working in the fields concerning disabilities is a very noble and respectable career choice. These five career choices are just a sample of the many options available out there within this field. For more tips and direction on the perfect use for your disability studies degree, it is highly recommended that you talk to your school’s counseling and student advisor body.
See also: Top 10 Online Education Degree Programs
