One-Stop career centers and job seekers with disabilities: insights from Kansas

Journal of Rehabilitation,  Oct-Dec, 2005  by Jean P. Hall,  Kathy Parker

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After mystery customers had made one visit to the One-Stop center and used the basic computer services, we asked them to return and tell the staff that they were not having success with their job search strategies and to ask if there were any other services available that might help them to secure employment. Again, staff members had said they would talk to customers about intensive or training services after the customers had been to the Center several times and had not been successful in their job searches. These second visits, especially, highlighted the differences in the experiences between people with apparent and invisible disabilities.

Two of the four mystery customers with visible disabilities who returned for second visits were told about additional services. Our blind customer who had been looking for work as a paralegal for four years said:

   They first thought I was interested in training. When I
   sat down with him I said, "No, I'm not interested in
   training. I already have that. I'm interested in seeing if
   you have some other resources." They gave me a couple
   suggestions of possible placement services but that was
   about all they could do, because they just didn't have the
   resources or people to do any more. One of the
   suggestions I think I'll look into. I guess they will look
   for a worksite for you and if they find somewhere
   willing to take you on, then the Center will pay, I guess,
   half your salary for six months. The other they
   mentioned was on-the-job training. This would have to
   be set up through the VR counselor.

Our mystery customer with multiple sclerosis agreed to go on a second visit only because we said he could go to a different office. He relayed the following:

   I was very favorably satisfied. This is a small office and
   I could tell the staff member was quite busy, but she
   spent a lot of time discussing what the Kansas Job Link
   could provide. She gave me the same list of Internet
   contacts, but her thoroughness was a refreshing change
   from my first experience. She encouraged me to check
   into the WIA services and mentioned [a local community
   college] as a source of upgrading skills. It was unclear
   to him how he was to check into the WIA services,
   however.

The experience of our customers without visible disabilities was different. They felt that "Basically, the only way that they have to be able to look up job listings is on the Internet." One of the mystery customers contacted the One-Stop's assistant manager because he believed there were more services available than the Internet and he was told, "we used to offer all sorts of services but with budget cuts, everything we have is on the computer." He said that he told her that he had a disability and she reiterated the above statement.

Another of our mystery customers without a visible disability was concerned about her resume. She had a four-year gap in her work history and was concerned that she was including too many health professionals on her resume as references. She relates this story: