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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Many participants voiced a perception that One-Stop and other services providers are not comfortable working with people who have disabilities. When we asked participants how they knew if a service provider were comfortable talking with them about their disabilities, they talked in terms of unspoken cues and body language:

   You can sense it. It's like a connection. If you're used to
   your disability because you've had it your whole life
   like I have, you know it.

   You get people who aren't disabled and they look down
   on people who are. The best counselor I had was at the
   VA [Veterans Administration] and this guy was disabled.
   I prefer talking to someone who understands and knows
   what it's like to be there.

   Don't sit there and be condescending, "I'm busy with
   this, excuse me," because I get that a lot. I know that a
   lot of people do; it's in the back of my mind when I'm
   walking in with a cane or a brace, are they putting me
   off because I'm disabled or are they really busy?

In response to these stories, we asked participants how they would prefer to be treated. Answers focused mostly on common courtesies such as One-Stop staff should show "that they're really interested in you ... Somebody that has that outgoing personality that shows me that they really care." Another answered that One-Stop staff persons should be people who have "the information and can give it to you, rather than 'Oh, I don't know, go see so and so.' By the time you make four or five rounds of seeing somebody else, you practically give it up." Other people listed traits such as patient, nice, polite, courteous, and "don't put you down" as important for One-Stop staff members.

Focus group members varied in their opinions about how much knowledge One-Stop staff members need to have regarding disabling conditions and related work issues. To some extent, people with invisible disabilities were more concerned that One-Stop staff members understand the complexities of disability and the fact that many disabilities, while not readily apparent, can greatly impact an individual's ability to find and keep a job. Many participants also felt that if the One-Stops hired more staff members with disabilities, the knowledge and awareness about disabilities would increase for all the employees. Some comments shared by the focus group participants included: "There are preconceptions that people have," "Get to know the person and not just the diagnosis," "... being accepting toward you despite what you look like," and "They [staff] should have not so much knowledge as compassion."

Another issue that arose during discussion about staff knowledge was that of confidentiality. Concerns about confidentiality were addressed in several contexts, including whether the Center's physical layout provides private space for personal interviews (as opposed to open areas or cubicles with low walls), whether a person's disability status was shared with other staff and/or potential employers, and a fundamental awareness and understanding by staff of why confidentiality is an issue for many people with disabilities.