Skip to main content

Employment Resources: Individuals and Families

Employment: A Families Perspective

The most successful community employment experiences for people with disabilities happen when their family members and loved ones are on board. Watch the Employment: A Families Perspective video to see and hear stories of people with disabilities and their families experiences with community-based employment. 

 

Watch Employment: A Families Perspective Video.
Transition and Employment Logo

PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment

The PACER Center's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment provides high-quality assistance and evidence-based practices that support parents, youth, and professionals that contribute to successful employment for youth with disabilities. PACER's Parent Center provides comprehensive strategies and resources related to school-to-work transition that produces optimal employment and career achievement for youth with disabilities. 

Learn more about PACER's Parent Center on Transition and Employment

Charting the LifeCourse and Employment

Charting the LifeCourse is a framework created to help individuals and families of all ages and all abilities develop a vision for a good life under the belief that all people have the right to live, love, work, play, and pursue their own goals. Individuals and families can use their vision for a good, quality life with the LifeCourse framework to help plan for the present and the future.

The LifeCourse framework also includes resources specifically related to the transition from school to work. Charting the LifeCourse: Daily Life & Employment is a guide to help transition-age youth and their families figure out what daily life could look like after high school. The guide includes activities and resources to assist youth to consider jobs, careers, or continuing education as an adult. 

Learn more about the Charting the LifeCourse: Daily Life & Employment guide.
Benefits Planning Logo

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program

The Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program is a step-by-step process to assist people with disabilities that receive benefits from Social Security to understand how employment may affect other benefits they may receive. Other benefits may include Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and others. WIPA also helps beneficiaries to understand how they can increase their financial independence.

The Benefits to Employment presentation by a Michigan-based Work Incentives Planner (WIPA), Cathy McRae from The Arc Michigan, also provides some basic information on benefits planning.

Learn more about the WIPA Program.

Disability Benefits 101

Disability Benefits 101 is a disability benefits planning site dedicated to helping people with disabilities and service providers understand the connections between work and benefits. It provides a benefits calculator, available 24/7/365, along with toolkits to better understand benefits programs and rules around work. You can also watch short 3–5-minute videos to learn more about benefits such as SSI, SSDI, ABLE Act, and more.

Learn more about Disability Benefits 101.