By The Economy (NAPSA)—According to the Department of Labor, the unemployment rate of people with dis- abilities is 14.3 percent—compared with 9.5 percent for people without disabilities. Fortunately, with the help of employment tools, people with disabilities are increasingly able to join the workforce. Kessler Foundation offers the following tips for people with disabilities and their families: Each state has an office for vocational rehabilitation to help people with disabilities find employment and provide access to training, career development and assistive technology. @ Informational interviewing. Arrange to visit someone in a job in which you are interested at his or her workplace. You can learn about the day-to-day tasks, oppor- tunities for advancement and the training or education required. While there, you may also hear about possible job openings. e Unpaid internships. Accept an unpaid internship as a way of demonstrating skills, gaining experience and potentially receiving a job offer. eLocal organizations. Each state has an office that handles vocational rehabilitation. These offices work to help people with disabilities find employment and provide access to training, career development and assistive technology. e The Internet. Certain Web sites specialize in employmentfor people with disabilities, such as www.accessibleemployment.org, a national job board that was cre- ated through a Kessler Founda- tion grant. In addition, Kessler’s “Transi- tion to Work” initiative has awarded more than $12 million in grants to promote employment opportunities to programs that train, locate jobs for and provide other employment services to peo- ple with disabilities. To learn more, call (973) 324- 8362 or visit the Web site at www.kesslerfoundation.org.
