Finding a Job as a Person With a Disability in Los Angeles

Getting the Opportunity That You Want in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond

Download the Toolkit as a PDF

If you are a job seeker with a disability, or supporting a job seeker with a disability, we recognize the complexities and challenges that you are facing, in both the pre-and post-pandemic world. While there is nothing that we can do can make it easy or mechanical, RespectAbility, The Los Angeles City Department of Disability, UNITE-LA and Fiesta Educativa offer this toolkit, “Finding a Job as a Person with a Disability in Los Angeles,” to equip you as well as possible. It offers pathways forward and advice for Angelenos in many different stages of life. Specific sections are targeted for high school or college students with disabilities planning to enter the workforce, as well as sections including guidance on returning to work or staying at work for someone who acquires a disability later in life. The document also includes resources to assist formerly incarcerated Californians with disabilities who are re-entering society. If you find yourself on any of these pathways, know that you have already done the hardest part simply by committing to the path to employment. If you love or work with someone with a disability in Los Angeles who is beginning or considering a job search, please consider sharing this valuable resource.

Download the PDF or accessible Word document or view each section of the toolkit by following the links below:

• List of Acronyms
• Acknowledgements
• Message From Los Angeles Mayor (PDF)
• Message From Los Angeles Department on Disability (PDF)
• Introduction
• Job Search Preparation Toolkit
• Pathway 1: Students in High School
• Pathway 2: Postsecondary Students and Young Adults
• Pathway 3: Acquiring a Disability Mid-Career
• Pathway 4: People With Disabilities Who Lost Their Jobs Due to COVID-19
• Pathway 5: Reintegrating After Time in the Correctional System
• A Great Resource for Finding Jobs: Federal Contractors
• Appendix A: Contact Information for DOR Offices
• Appendix B: Contact Information for AJCCs and YouthSource Centers
• Appendix C: Referenced Organizations
• Appendix D: Disability-Specific Organizations and Resources
• Appendix E: How to Access an AJCC
• Appendix F: Los Angeles Area Federal Contractor Information
• Appendix G: Job Hunting Websites From ODEP
• Appendix H: Action Words for Cover Letters and Resumes
• Appendix I: Live Captioning and ASL Resources

To ask a question or add a resource, contact Matan Koch at [email protected].