Individuals with Disabilities: Career Ideas Based on Your Abilities

People in this career may sing or play one or more musical instruments. They may create music in a studio; perform it for audiences on-stage or on-air; or record their work to use in other media such as video games, television or movies.

Customers may commission a sculptor, or the sculptor may create their work independently for exhibition and sale. Sculptors may work in a variety of media to make three-dimensional art, such as Michael Naranjo, who molds figures in wax that he then casts in bronze.

Software developers are the true creative minds behind computer programs and video games, and there is a growing market for video games designed to include blind and low-vision players. Developers may work on the systems that control game and software mechanics or design the controls that are used to operate the program.

These professionals connect people with insurance policies that cover them financially when accidents happen. They typically work in standard offices, which may offer the ability to telecommute. Read Ramona Harriford's story about working as an insurance agent before and after retina hemorrhage.

People who work at a travel agency help plan and book transportation, hotels, and activities for individuals and groups going on trips. The company Traveleyes was started by a blind man to plan trips for vision-impaired travelers.

It is the job of historians to research, analyze, interpret, and communicate about the past. A historian often conducts interviews with people who offer a specific perspective about an event or time period, capturing their first-hand impressions. The Activist History Review chronicles a historian with Retinitis Pigmentosa's work.

There are online guides on how to create jewelry as a person with impaired vision, and the rise of online sales has expanded the market for homemade jewelry. People who make earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces work to design their pieces; purchase materials; and construct, adjust, repair and sell their work.

People in this profession help relieve pain and stress in their clients by manipulating muscles and other soft tissues of the body. Roderick Parker has worked as a blind massage therapist for over 20 years.

Fashion designers and other custom clothing designers such as theater companies may employ seamstresses to construct the clothes they create. This job requires attention to detail, the capacity to visualize how a piece will fit together on a body, and long hours to make the garment.

These professionals advise clients on investing, choosing insurance and financial planning. They may work for a bank, financial agency or insurance company; or may be self-employed.

Colleges, career centers and individual clients may employ job counselors to help people choose their careers. They can advise on resume-building as well as paths to achieve employment goals. Career counselor and consultant Dr. Karen Wolffe has applied her experiences to help others who are blind or low vision.

Museums, historical sites and places of higher learning will often hire an archivist to serve as an expert in appraising, cataloging and preserving historically valuable documents and records. In a role as curator, these professionals manage collections of artwork and historic items, and may exhibit them to the public. Blind Spot is an example of an exhibit by blind co-curators Barry and Jan Stirbens.

Conducting research to improve overall human health, medical scientists are often the ones running clinical trials and investigating new methods of improving medical treatments and methods. Alix Coysh is one example of a biomedical researcher who hopes to use her research work to cure her own condition.

Major studios employ animators on staff to create their movies, television shows, games or other media, but there are some animators who work for smaller studios or collectives, such as Deaf Animation. Animators often study computer graphics, art or a related field, developing their skills and portfolio of art and stories.

People in this profession design digital page layouts for media that is printed or published online, such as newspapers, books or brochures. People in this field can specialize in editing, graphic design and web design, and may find careers at full-service publishing companies like deaf-owned Eyeth Studios.

Individuals, businesses, nonprofits and corporations all need help preparing their taxes, and tax accountants can provide consultation and tax preparation support or prepare a client's taxes for them. The company Deaf Tax offers a range of tax services and employs people fluent in American Sign Language.

It is important for web developers to know graphic design as well as programming, as they design and maintain websites for their clients. They may work with companies or individuals, creating the look of the site and ensuring it can handle the amount of traffic it receives while maintaining a fast loading speed. A deaf developer at Springer Nature writes about her experiences in web development in this blog post.

People in charge of planning ad campaigns and promotional materials are called advertising managers. They may work with other marketing professionals such as art directors and sales personnel to coordinate their campaigns. Route 66 Promotions is an example of a deaf-owned promotion and marketing material company.

For small businesses or companies that do not have an office, a virtual assistant can take care of administrative tasks such as scheduling, routine clerical and financial work, customer service, or marketing and social media. Bellwood Virtual Assistant is a company started by a Deaf entrepreneur who offers these services to customers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Military provide training programs for aircraft mechanics and technicians to learn how to perform routine maintenance and repairs to aircraft. They work in loud environments such as hangars, repair stations, or airfields.

Industrial designers develop the concept designs for manufactured products, including cars, home appliances, and toys. They may work in offices, but often travel to visit clients, users, and manufacturing facilities. Their work combines art, business, and engineering to create functional, useful products that are easy to produce on a large scale, such as those found on designer Patrick Lane's portfolio page.

Federal, state, and local governments employ judges, who are in charge of overseeing court legal processes. They are experts in law, with years of experience to draw from as they conduct pretrial hearings, resolve disputes, facilitate negotiations and issue legal decisions.

It is important for forensic science technicians to earn a degree in a natural science or in forensic science to perform their duties. They aid criminal investigations by analyzing evidence, and may travel to collect evidence from crime scenes if they have proper training. This blog post by a deaf forensic science professor introduces several successful deaf scientists.

Environmental scientists spend time in the field monitoring environmental conditions, as well as in offices and labs. They use their knowledge of the natural sciences to protect the environment and human health by advising policymakers and educating groups about environmental issues, cleaning up pollution, and/or working to reduce waste.

Mapping skills are in high demand, and people in this profession collect, measure, and interpret information about geography in order to create and update maps. Their work may be used by the government, for education, or for regional or emergency response planning. The job may take them out of the office to inspect the areas they are mapping.

People in this profession typically specialize in events or styles of photography, using their technical expertise and composition skills to capture people, locations, stories or phenomena. Photographer Oliver Hellowell composes photographs of nature and sells prints of his work. Photographers may also work in laboratories and take photographs using microscopes, or use telescopes to photograph distant objects.

Potters and ceramic artists create designs for their work. They may work in their own studio or as part of a larger group of ceramic artists, creating functional art pieces or purely aesthetic works. Stoneware artist Christian Royal creates his pieces with assistants.

Tellers interact with customers and process bank transactions, including cashing checks, depositing money and collecting loan payments. Bank Teller Rachel Doeble's success story has been featured by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

Every industry needs information clerks, but many work in government agencies, hotels and healthcare institutions. They perform routine clerical duties, including record maintenance, data collection and providing information to customers.

Sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers' payments, but online sales managers also work to ensure that their stores stock new, exciting, on-brand merchandise, and that customers are satisfied with what they buy online. They listen and respond to customer feedback.

People in this career accept payment from customers who purchase goods and services or work with customers in retail or grocery stores, gas stations or other merchandise stores. Some employers may even be willing to carve out clerk positions for people with disabilities.

Employees learn through apprenticeships and on the job in this profession, or may learn in technical schools and receive certifications. Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical power systems including lighting and communications. They work full time, and may work evenings and weekends.

People who do construction extraction may work with a variety of materials, including safely identifying and disposing of materials such as asbestos, radioactive waste and flammable or corrosive substances. Work environments vary, and employees may have to wear protective suits or work overtime or during nights and weekends depending on the nature of their work.

People in this profession control and put out fires, but they are also often the first to respond in a natural disaster or other emergency situation where lives, property or the environment are in danger. It is also possible to work as a volunteer firefighter, responding to situations as they arise and require more help than the regular staff can provide.

Many places employ security guards, including museums, stores, offices, manufacturing plants and banks. They patrol the area they are hired to protect, preventing theft, vandalism and other illegal activities. They may work nights or weekends.

These professionals design and conduct surveys to collect data, such as employment and salary information. They may ask questions to understand and categorize people's opinions, preferences or beliefs, and then analyze the results of their surveys.

Hospitals usually employ medical lab technicians to collect samples of body fluids, tissues, and other substances; and perform tests to analyze these samples. Some states require these professionals to obtain a license before they work in this field.

There is a lot of potential to create personally-rewarding stories as a filmmaker, as Paul Dalio has demonstrated with a recent film that drew upon his experiences with bipolar disorder. A person pursuing this career may write and film their own work, or serve as a director of the story and acting.

Publishing and advertising companies, design services and other related service and outreach industries employ graphic designers, but these professionals can be self-employed and work on a freelance basis as well. They use their artistic skills to create visual concepts, develop designs and build layouts for materials such as brochures, magazines, ads and reports. Some even use design to express their emotions and help themselves and others cope.

Experience in the industry that a cost estimator works in can stand in for formal education. These professionals collect and analyze data around their chosen industry or products to estimate the time, money, materials, and labor that will be required to complete a service or create a product.

People in this field work in a wide range of businesses and areas of the economic market. They study market conditions to help companies understand what different consumers want and assess the costs and profits of these products or services. Those with mental health diagnoses may even enjoy conducting market research that addresses consumer's mental health and behaviors.

In this career, employees perform administrative tasks and interact with the public over the phone and in-person. They answer phones and direct calls, receive visitors, and provide information about the company as needed. Listen to Maddie's story about successfully working through depression and anxiety while managing the front desk of a popular beach resort.

Summer camps, recreation and community centers, some parks and nursing homes all may employ recreation workers to help plan and lead events that will keep members of the community active, healthy and happy. People in this career may lead arts and crafts projects, sports, music practice, drama activities or games. Spending more time doing outdoor and park activity has also been shown to improve mental health.

Working in the construction field is physically demanding, but essential to maintain a city's infrastructure. These workers help build and maintain roads, buildings, and structures. The construction industry has begun to address mental health issues more seriously, providing resources and ideas for promoting mental health awareness.

Sous chefs typically work in restaurants or private households, on a team or under an executive chef. They oversee food preparation, and the work is often fast-paced and may require working early morning or late evening hours. This environment can be rewarding for those with who are committed to excellence and pay close attention to detail.

People in this profession take care of sick or injured patients in emergency medical settings, responding to emergency calls and providing transport to hospitals. Paramedic Louis Belluomini and his PTSD service dog work together to quickly and competently provide medical services to patients.

Postsecondary teachers work at both public and private colleges and universities, community colleges or professional schools. They spend most of their time instructing classes, conducting research and advising students, and often have a fairly flexible schedule. University of Southern California Professor Elyn R. Saks shares her experiences and research findings on people with mental health disorders who have highly successful careers.

People in this profession work in hospitals, physician offices, or medical and diagnostic labs. They operate special medical equipment that generates images or conducts tests to help physicians diagnose or assess their patients' medical conditions.

Under direction from foresters, conservation workers measure the quality of forests and work to improve their environments. They may work for the government or on government contracts, or they may work in privately owned forest lands or nurseries. Many organizations such as The Wildlife Trusts focus on promoting natural resources for mental and physical wellbeing.

Editors may work in an office or from their home, and are responsible for planning, reviewing, and revising content for publication in print media. They may work on magazines, newspapers or websites. Online service providers like Disabled Writers connect editors with disabled people working in journalism.

These professionals may work in radio, television, music, theater, or movie production. They operate the sound equipment for these industries, either in studios or at concerts or other live events.

This career is ideal for people comfortable with planning, coordinating and directing digital activities in a corporation or organization. They create computer solutions to meet their company's information technology goals. Michael Sardinas' story shows small accommodations can make IT careers more accessible for people with disabilities.

Insurance companies employ most actuaries, though some may work on a consulting basis and travel to their clients. These professionals perform financial risk assessments using statistics and financial theory, and help strategize to develop policies that will reduce that risk.

Teachers specialize in one or two subjects that they teach to high school students, such as science or history. They earn specialized certifications in their subject areas and teach at public or private institutions. Some teachers with disabilities also find great satisfaction teaching students with disabilities.

People who work in the field of mediation or arbitration are responsible for facilitating a dialogue and negotiations between parties that are in conflict. They work to find compromises outside of the court system as part of state or local governments or in private legal services.

Most industries employ training and development specialists to help with training their employees. These professionals plan lessons, give presentations, and work to improve employee skills and knowledge and provide job coaching to help people succeed professionally.

Sales teams rely on their sales managers to direct employees to achieve sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for fellow employees. There may be some travel required for this position, in addition to evening and weekend work. They work in a variety of industries, from retail to consumer and business service providers.

People who have strong people skills and some computer experience can find a career in customer service. Employees usually work in a store, call center, bank, credit or insurance agency, interacting with customers as they process orders, provide information and handle complaints. There may also be growth opportunities to supervise or run quality control within a customer service center.

People in this profession are in charge of advising and representing individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues. They work in private or corporate legal offices, or for federal, local, or state governments, and can specialize in different areas of law, such as business law or financial regulations.

This position is also called ‘public safety telecommunicator,' and people in this role are in charge of answering emergency and nonemergency calls to the police, fire department or ambulance dispatch.

People in this role work for their company to produce financial and investment reports, direct a company's investments, and develop strategies to reach long-term financial goals.

Electrical engineering technicians help design and develop electrical equipment, which may include computers, navigation and communication equipment, or medical monitoring devices. They evaluate, test and plan how to manufacture the equipment they develop. Elvis Cheatham is an example of an excelling electrical designer with physical disabilities.