Career Services for Persons with Disabilities

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) provides seamless and accessible services to all individuals in our Career Centers, including people with disabilities.  It is the policy of NYSDOL and the State of New York to provide universal access and full participation in all of its programs, services, and activities.

Read the NYSDOL Policy Statement on Discrimination against Individuals with Disabilities.

PLEASE NOTE: In light of COVID-19, All Career Centers are open by appointment. Virtual workshops, individual appointments and some limited in-person appointments may be available at career centers across the state. Call or contact your nearest Career Center in advance to schedule an appointment.

Career Centers provide employment services to all job seekers, including those who have disabilities.  These services include, but are not limited to career counseling, resume development, career workshops, computers/internet access, computer workshops, job search resources and placement assistance, career resource library, access to phone/fax/copier and short-term training for long-term careers subject to funding availability and program regulations).  Career Centers can also provide connections to other community organizations and resources for additional services and supports.

As a result of NY SCION, there will soon be Disability Resource Coordinators (DRCs) available in nearly every local area across New York State.

Some examples of what DRCs do:

• Provide credentialed benefits advisement and work incentive counseling to job seekers who receive Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits (e.g., Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) via the Ticket to Work Program (TTW));
• Ensure job seekers with disabilities have access to necessary programs and services including career and training services offered through the Career Centers and Workforce Systems;
• Increase the number of individuals with disabilities, including SSA Beneficiaries interested in work, using the Career Center services system to participate in career pathways programs, including funded career pathways training;
• Advise the workforce development system on how to effectively promote the participation of individuals with disabilities in career pathways systems and programs;
• Promote the web-based career exploration tool, “Your Dream, Your Team.”  This career exploration toolkit introduces the concept of Integrated Resource Teams, or IRTs. Integrated Resource Teams bring together a team of diverse service providers to strategize how employment services can be coordinated to reach and maintain an employment goal; 
• Promote and support the concept of IRTs, which aids in the development a coordinated approach to employment-related service delivery across multiple services systems; 
• Make sure that individuals with disabilities are able to access all the different programs and services they need, including career and training services offered through the Career Centers to participate in career pathways programs;
• Help the Career Center and surrounding career pathways programs and staff to serve individuals with disabilities;
• Assist and train Career Center staff, businesses, community colleges, and other training providers on topics including, but not limited to rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, TTW, accommodations, assistive technology, and assessments;
• Identify and work with disability-related resources and partners to support collaboration around the employment and/or training goal(s) of job seekers with disabilities.  Such partners could include but should not be limited to:
  • NYS Education Department’s (NYSED) Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR)
  • NYS Office of Children and Family Services/NYS Commission for the Blind (OCFS/NYSCB);
• Coordinate with career pathway programs’ direct service delivery staff, including career coaches;
• Identify career, training, and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities using assessments;
• Help to expand the workforce development system's participation as an Employment Network (EN) under the TTW Program, including the assignment of appropriate Tickets to the Career Center under the New York Employment Services System (NYESS) Administrative Employment Network (AEN);
• Use best practices and available resources necessary for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in existing career pathway programs and to achieve their employment and/or training goal(s).

For a list of DRCS across NYS, see the table below.

*PLEASE NOTE: Under NY SCION nearly every county in New York State will be supported by a Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC). This list will be updated as more DRCs are brought on to support your area. If the county in which you live has a “VACANT” DRC position, we suggest that you contact your nearest Career Center using the Career Center Locator link provided in the table above for assistance. If you are a Social Security Administration (SSA) Beneficiary (i.e., a person collecting Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, and/or Medicaid) and need advice on SSA Benefits and Work Incentives we would encourage you to first to reach out to your nearest DRC or Career Center; if you have reached out to a Career Center with a vacant DRC position, we would encourage you to also reach out to your nearest Independent Living Center (ILC).

The New York Employment Services System (NYESS) is a comprehensive employment system that provides New Yorkers with a single point of access to employment services and related supports.  In addition, NYESS is a statewide Administrative Employment Network (EN) whereby a Social Security beneficiary (ages 18-64) can assign their Ticket to Work to NYESS and access employment services from a variety of providers, including many NYS Career Centers, throughout New York State that are participating in the NYESS Administrative Employment Network (AEN).

NYESS works in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor to provide New Yorkers with a single point to access all employment-related services and support, including job matching with the approximately 90,000 jobs currently posted by businesses in the NYS Job Bank.  Under NY SCION, NYESS also works with the New York State Department of Labor to support over 30 Disability Resource Coordinators working across the state to ensure that every NYS Career Center and the services that they provide are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

More information about NYESS is available on their Customer Resources page.

Visit the ACCES website.

Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) provides services to individuals who have a disability, or disabilities, that interfere with getting, keeping, or advancing in a job.  ACCES-VR has 15 District Offices and 10 Satellite Offices located across New York State.  Its administration office is located at the New York State Education Department in Albany, NY. Click the following link to locate an ACCES-VR district office near you.  You can also call 1-800-222-JOBS (5627).

To apply or be referred for ACCES-VR services you must be:

• A person with a disability or disabilities that impact your ability to get, keep or advance in a job
• Currently present in New York State
• Available to participate in the vocational rehabilitation process
• At least 14 years old

ACCES-VR also provides Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students, ages 14-21, with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services and are enrolled in an educational or training program (e.g., high school, vocational training program, college).  Pre-ETS are short-term in nature and are designed to improve the transition of students with disabilities from school to postsecondary education or to an employment outcome.  Contact the ACCES-VR local Transition and Youth Services (TAYS) Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (SVRC) if you are interested in learning more or receiving Pre-ETS.  A list of contacts can be found behind the following link: Pre-ETS, TAYS, and SVRC Contact Information.

Useful Links to ACCES-VR Programs and Services:

• ACCES-VR Orientation Sessions
• Applying for ACCES-VR Services and Documentation Needed for Eligibility
• Eligibility Process
• Pre-ETS ,TAYS, and SVRC Contact Information

Visit the NYS Commission for the Blind website.

The New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB) provides vocational rehabilitation and other direct services to legally blind New York State residents, including children, adults, and elderly persons. One of NYSCB's primary objectives is to assist consumers in achieving economic self-sufficiency and full integration into society.  NYSCB offers these services from seven district offices across the state.

NYSCB offers an array of programs to help individuals who are legally blind achieve economic self-sufficiency and full integration into society. NYSCB works closely with not-for-profit agencies for the blind throughout New York State to provide technical, educational and resource assistance to our consumers.

For more information or to find a local office near you please call 1-866-871-3000 or TTY 1-866-371-6000.

Useful Links to NYCB Programs and Services:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Program
• Business Enterprise Program
• Children's Program
• Transition Program
• Summer Recreation Program
• Equipment Loan Fund
• Independent Living Program

Visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website.

NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) supervises state benefits programs that provide assistance and support to eligible families and individuals.  Programs include, but are not limited to:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
• Temporary Assistance (TA)
• Fair Hearings
• Housing and Support Services
• Shelter Services
• SSI/Social Security Disability Determinations
• Employment and Advancement Services
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Noncustodial Parent New York State Earned Income Tax Credit
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

To access these services and more, visit the myBenefits portal.

Visit the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities website.

The New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is responsible for coordinating services for NYS residents with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, and other neurological impairments.

Examples of services that OPWDD provides includes:

• Care Coordination
• Housing
• Employment
• Independent living
• Residential care
• Self-direction services

Visit the Office of Mental Health website.

The New York State Office of Mental Health operates psychiatric centers across the State. OMH also regulates, certifies and oversees more than 4,500 programs, operated by local governments and nonprofit agencies.

Visit the Office of Children and Family Services website.

In addition to overseeing the New York State Commission for the Blind, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) provides a system of family support, juvenile justice, childcare and child welfare services that promote the safety and well-being of children and adults.

Programs and services address foster care & adoption, child protective services, preventive services for children and families, services for pregnant adolescents and protective programs for vulnerable adults.

Visit the Council on Children and Families website.

The Council on Children and Families (CCF) serves as a broker, innovator, and facilitator of change among NYS’s health, education, and human services agencies.

Visit the Justice Center's TRAID Program website.

The New York State Justice Center provides oversight of the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Program.  There are 12 Regional TRAID Centers in New York State.  Their activities include:

• Device demonstration, which allows individuals the opportunity to try out assistive technology equipment prior to purchase;
• Coordinate local technology information and referral services;
• Implement outreach, public awareness, education and training programs for community-based organizations and businesses; and
• Promote local advocacy on how to access and use assistive technology devices and services in community and employment settings.

NYSDOL - Information on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

New York State Independent Living Centers:

Independent Living Centers (ILCs) provide an array of services that assist New Yorkers with all disabilities to live fully integrated and self-directed lives. ILCs assist with all aspects of living, learning and earning.  They identify and facilitate removal of architectural, communication and attitudinal barriers to full participation in local communities and beyond. ACCES-VR administers base funding for 41 Independent Living Centers (ILCS) throughout the state.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN):

JAN is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.  JAN is an information and consulting service that provides users with individualized solutions for workplace accommodations.  JAN also provides information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and other disability-related legislation.  In addition, JAN consultants have access to a vast network of resources, organizations, support groups, government agencies, and more that provide assistance to persons with disabilities.

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Ticket to Work Program:

The SSA’s Ticket to Work Program is a free and voluntary program available to people ages 18 through 64 who are blind or have a disability and who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.  The Ticket to Work Program offers employment assistance to SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries from different service providers called Employment Networks (ENs) and State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies.

The goals of the Ticket Program are to:

• Offer beneficiaries with disabilities expanded choices when seeking service and supports to enter, re-enter and/or maintain employment.
• Increase the financial independence and self-sufficiency of beneficiaries with disabilities.
• Reduce and, whenever possible, eliminate reliance on disability benefits.

The SSA Red Book:

The SSA “Red Book” serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of the Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.

The Governor’s Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities (55-B/55-C):

The Governor's Programs to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities consist of two specialized programs: the 55-b and the 55-c Program.

Section 55-b of the New York State Civil Service Law authorizes the New York State Civil Service Commission to designate up to 1,200 positions normally filled through competitive examination to be filled through the appointment of qualified persons with disabilities. Section 55-c authorizes the designation of up to 500 positions in the non-competitive class to be filled by qualified wartime veterans with disabilities. In general, an entry-level position that is filled only through an open-competitive examination (one open to the public) may be used for a 55-b or 55-c appointment.

Schedule A Hiring Authority Information for Federal Jobs:

Schedule A is a “service” hiring authority available to federal agencies to hire and/or to promote individuals with disabilities without requiring them to compete for the job.

Utilizing the Schedule A hiring authority to fill a vacancy allows federal agencies to circumvent or “work around” using the traditional, and sometimes lengthy, competitive hiring process.

Individuals with disabilities are eligible for a Schedule an appointment if they are a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability, and meet the qualifications of the job in question.

Section 503 Regulations for Federal Contractors and Sub-Contractors:

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a law that prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals.

Find out more information about Section 503.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Workers' compensation is insurance, paid for by your employer, that provides cash benefits and medical care if you are unable to perform your job duties because of an injury or illness that occurred either on, or off the job.  New York is one of a handful of states that require employers to provide disability benefits coverage to employees for an off-the-job injury or illness.

Check out an overview of the Workers’ Compensation Board’s disability benefits.