Work experience before graduation is practically a requirement for a successful move from college to an IT or engineering career. Getting that experience can be a special challenge for students with disabilities, but several organizations can help them make a smooth transition by connecting them early on with top companies looking for new talent.
Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD, Knoxville, TN) “has the only nationwide online job and resume databases focused on college students with disabilities,” says Alan Muir, COSD executive director. There are more than 300 students and more than sixty employers nationwide registered in COSD’s Career Gateway database. “It’s a great way to bring them together,” Muir says.
Muir notes that there is very little reliable information on the unemployment rate of people with disabilities. Reported numbers range from 33 to 45 percent, but all observers agree that it is much too high.
Virginia Stern, director of the project on science, technology and disability for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, Washington, DC), believes that there are many opportunities in IT and engineering for qualified students with disabilities. She cautions against making sweeping generalizations about employment rates. “Employment is based on education and skills. There are technology and accommodations available if needed, and our experience is that employers are more than ready to supply them,” says Stern.
Entry Point!, a program of AAAS, is another job resource for students with disabilities. The program is conducted in partnership with companies and government agencies like IBM, Merck, Lockheed Martin, NOAA and NASA.
“We seek out talented students and connect them with employers for summer internships. Internship experience makes a significant difference when looking for employment,” says Stern. “I think the outlook is excellent, provided that graduating students have the course work and internship backgrounds that give them marketable skills.”
Melodi King: skills from multiple internships
Melodi King is an analyst in the Merck Manufacturing Development Program. She’s based in Philadelphia.
King completed two summer internships in the environment and safety department of Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ). Entry Point! arranged both. “The first summer I set up an organizational system in an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of files on the environmental impact of different compounds,” King reports. “The second summer I did a lot of software testing to optimize manufacturing processes. My job was to figure out how to use a new software system, test it on manufacturing processes, and then teach others how it worked. It was really cool to get that kind of experience. I learned a lot during those summers.”
At the end of King’s second summer Merck held a “super day,” a rigorous interview session for interns interested in pursuing full-time employment. “It was the most stressful day of my life. I had five one-hour interviews,” remembers King. “I received two different offers afterward and decided to accept a two-year rotating position that would give me more career options.”
King completed her bachelors in chemical engineering at the University of Tucson (Tucson, AZ) in 2007.
King has cerebral palsy that affects the right side of her body. She says that Merck offers an extremely supportive environment. “When I started my first internship I wrote a disclosure e-mail to everyone I work with and provided a Web link so they could learn more about my disability,” says King. “I told them that this is something I want them to feel comfortable with. Disability only becomes a problem when people are nervous about asking or telling you something.”
King says that her disability isn’t apparent unless you’re looking for it. Her condition hasn’t impacted her life as much as her doctors originally thought it would. “It ended up being much milder, but it’s still very hard to predict what things I’ll need help with. I can work on any computer we have, but in a lab it’s difficult to maneuver gloves on my hands and I need the assistance of co-workers in that type of situation. Luckily my boss is excellent and all of my colleagues are very approachable people.”
King strongly recommends that others with a disability disclose their conditions at work and seek out supportive mentors. “I’m a big fan of mentors or someone you can talk to who’s not strongly associated with your company or your immediate job. I have a plethora of mentors at Merck and Entry Point! and among my family and friends.”
IBM’s Daniel Hebert: emerging tech development
Daniel Hebert, a software engineer at the Lenexa, KS location of IBM (Armonk, NY), used an Entry Point! internship to prove that he has the knowledge and skills to succeed despite his disability. He was an Entry Point! intern at IBM from June to December of 2006.
Hebert uses an electric wheelchair and an adapted Dodge Caravan for transportation, and says that people with disabilities have unique problem-solving abilities.
“Anyone with a disability has more than likely had to take an alternative route to get to the same place as his or her peers. That may have involved getting services or managing personal care staff and equipment, transportation and education,” says Hebert. “Individuals with disabilities working in technical disciplines have their own personal drive that has molded them into very capable people.”
Hebert majored in computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI, Troy, NY) and did two internships as an undergraduate. He got experience in Web design, task automation and IT consulting before he graduated in 2004.
At RPI, Hebert heard about Entry Point! and applied. His Entry Point! summer internship with IBM became a full-time position.
He understands how important work experience is to gain a competitive edge in technology. “Programs like Entry Point! let the disabled demonstrate their abilities.”
At IBM, Hebert develops testing tools, does test conversions and works on emerging technology development. “Innovation is the most important part of my job,” says Hebert. “I do a lot of programming to solve problems.”
Hebert uses several accommodations to get his job done. “I do development on a separate machine from the laptop I use for everything else,” he explains. “I’m not able to do physical setup and takedown of machines, so this allows me to switch between computer setups quickly and easily.”
IBM also allows Hebert to work from home when he can’t get to the office. The ability to work remotely is key, he says.
Microsoft’s David Tseng makes technology more accessible
The assistive technology that David Tseng used as a teenager sparked his interest in the IT field. Tseng, who has been blind since he was twelve, had a school mentor who showed him how to become effective in the classroom using Braille and related technologies.
As a college student at University of California-Berkeley he interned for HumanWare, a company in Concord, CA that produces Braille and low-vision products like speech software and other computer access tools. During his internship Tseng dealt with government agencies and educated them about product benefits.
“My internship helped me learn how to manage time and be responsible for my transportation,” says Tseng. “I also got experience writing reports, setting up meetings and analyzing the pros and cons for products.”
Today, Tseng is a software development engineer in test for Microsoft (Redmond, WA). He works with Windows automation, accessibility and applications. He found the position through a posting in Berkeley’s math department. Tseng had heard that Microsoft has a great reputation for accommodating disabled employees, and he now knows it firsthand.
“Microsoft contracted out for a mobility instructor to orient me to building environments to get me to the point where I can find things that I need and work independently,” he says. The company also has a shuttle service and wheelchair access.
Tseng works on the same Microsoft accessibility products that he uses to perform his job. “I’m involved with the parts of Windows that enable disabled people to use computers. I work on a system that describes to me what’s on screen and outputs in Braille. It’s really neat,” says Tseng. “My job is to test the different programs and ensure that they do what they are supposed to do.”
“Microsoft recognizes the capabilities and contributions of people with disabilities and wholeheartedly supports the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We see that accommodating and enabling employees to perform the necessary functions of their jobs ultimately enhances our ability to develop great products and services for everyone,” says Mylene Padolina, senior diversity consultant for Microsoft.
New York Life’s Tabitha Estrellado: from contractor to associate programmer
Tabitha Estrellado is an associate programmer at the Sleepy Hollow, NY location of New York Life Insurance Company (New York, NY). She’s thrilled that her year-long contract job with the company recently led to a permanent full-time position.
Estrellado was placed at New York Life by Lift, Inc (Warren, NJ, www.lift-inc.org), a program that recruits, trains and places people with significant disabilities. “We’ve been around since 1975. We carefully screen all applicants,” says Donna Walters Kozberg, president of Lift. “Our employees stand out, as Tabitha did, because of their intellectual aptitude and drive.”
Estrellado began her contract stint at New York Life after she graduated from Pace University (New York, NY) with a degree in CS in 2006. She started with two months of Lift-sponsored formal classroom training in mainframe programming. Then she joined a team tackling small assignments that exercised the knowledge she gained in class.
Estrellado was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a type of muscular dystrophy. It’s a condition that she describes as “weakening.” She has an aide with her at work and at home. She can type on her own, but needs help getting to meetings and handling documents and equipment. New York Life, she says, has been very supportive, understanding and flexible, and has welcomed her aide.
“Growing up I was very sickly. The doctor told my mother that I wouldn’t live past fifteen. Every year until I was twelve I was hospitalized with pneumonia,” says Estrellado. “My parents learned what to do and what not to do. I’m grateful that I’m well enough to be out in the world and am taking advantage of it by working,”
Before Estrellado discovered Lift she faced serious challenges in her job hunt. “Finding a job is difficult for everyone, but I had an extra hurdle because I knew I had to prove that I was able to compete,” says Estrellado. “I have the credentials, high GPA and involvement in school activities. On every interview I also tried to demonstrate that I have the spirit to excel.”
At one potential employer she felt sure she had the position after a series of positive interviews. When she was not offered the job, her career counseling office suggested she call the company and ask for feedback. “I was told that I lacked work experience, but because I’d gotten so far in the interview process I knew this wasn’t a valid response,” says Estrellado. “The person eventually told me that the supervisor felt sorry for me.”
With her experience in mind Estrellado tells other new grads with disabilities, “Never let anyone discourage you. There are employers out there that understand that although we have disabilities, we’re an advantage to the company.”
She emphasizes that she owes her career to Lift. “Lift made my dreams come true. I’m fortunate to have a job that I love with a company like New York Life. Joining Lift was a very good decision.”
Mary Kim: HR IT at USDA Forest Service
For students with disabilities looking for jobs, the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP, Washington, DC) is a great start. The WRP is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Department of Defense. The program connects students and recent grads with disabilities with federal and private-sector employers across the United States. According to Jerry McGaughran, college recruitment liaison for WRP, each year 300 to 400 WRP students find internships or permanent jobs, mostly with federal agencies. Mary Kim is one of them.
Kim, a human resources information technology specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, used the WRP to find internships while attending Gallaudet University (Washington, DC). She graduated in 2002 with a degree in computer information systems.
“I registered with WRP three times and got job offers from the USDA, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy,” says Kim. “During three summers I worked under the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP). Then in winter and spring of 2000-01, I worked for USDA under the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), which led to the offer of a permanent job with the USDA Forest Service.”
Kim, who is deaf, employs a number of communication strategies with co-workers. “For lengthy discussions we converse either with an Alpha-Smart portable keyboard or through our internal SameTime Connect instant messaging software,” she explains. “For phone conversations I mostly use online federal relay services, although I’m exploring the possibility of adding video relay. For meetings and office social events my preference is interpreter services. If it’s not possible to find an interpreter, I use the Alpha-Smart or write notes. ”
Kim has a number of responsibilities, including report writing, maintaining a Peoplesoft application, computer technology support and training for staff members, and user training on LAN software and hardware. Her internship experiences helped her develop her technical support skills, which are important in her job.
“Teaming with other IT colleagues to troubleshoot and resolve challenging hardware and software problems for customers, and learning new techniques or functions that I didn’t know about, are the most satisfying parts of my work,” says Kim.
She advises disabled students who are currently in college to take advantage of programs like WRP, STEP and SCEP. “Get hands-on career-related training in your chosen field by working during summers and school breaks.”
Timothy Swartos likes the support at Hewlett-Packard
Timothy Swartos is a business system analyst at the Boise, ID location of Hewlett-Packard (HP, Palo Alto, CA). “My job entails troubleshooting content-related issues that arise with www.HP.com/support, which is a complex feed that receives data from numerous sources and servers,” says Swartos.
Swartos has “gravitated toward anything technical,” especially computers, since childhood. After high school he had a variety of jobs, including one in a factory in South Dakota where he was involved in an industrial accident. “A mechanical safety failed while my hands were inside a sixty-five-ton metal press. I immediately lost both index fingers and the top half of both thumbs,” says Swartos. He spent the next five years undergoing thirty surgeries at the Mayo Clinic.
During this period he visited a friend in Boise and liked it so much he decided to move there and pursue a bachelors from the University of Phoenix’s Boise, ID campus. The school’s work-friendly schedule allowed him the flexibility to do his course work at his own pace.
Soon after he found his job at HP. He finished his bachelors in 2006, graduating with a degree in business and a minor in information systems.
Swartos has had years of physical and occupational therapy. He says that the biggest accommodation that HP provides him is the flexibility needed for therapy. “There are days when I have to do a ton of mouse use or data entry, and that usually results in my having to see a physical therapist,” says Swartos.
“HP’s open policy makes all the difference in the world. I recently became communications officer for the company’s disability network and resource group. This is a place for employees to find info and get together and share resources,” he says.
“A diverse workforce encourages creativity and innovation and helps build a stimulating work environment here at HP. And a workforce that reflects the values and demographics of HP’s many markets helps us win new business,” says HP’s Linda Sharkey, vice president of people development. “We want to maximize diversity to capitalize on our differences and enable people to realize their highest potential.”
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