A true story of eight young people with disabilities achieving great things at work!
Supporting Students with Disabilities in Career Exploration and Workforce Readiness
Professionals play a vital role in helping students with disabilities explore careers and prepare for success in the workforce. Whether students need guidance on career paths, support in reaching their goals, or work experiences, you can provide essential assistance.
Encourage students to reflect on their strengths, challenges, and workplace support needs. Teaching self-advocacy—like requesting accommodations and communicating effectively—sets them up for long-term success. Explore the resources on this page to learn more.
Transition School to Work - Dream Big!
The Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) partners with school districts and community organizations to provide high school students with disabilities a range of valuable services—including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), School Work Study, Work Adjustment Training, and more. These valuable services help them prepare for competitive integrated employment (CIE). To learn more, watch this video and visit the OK DRS Transition website.
Resources
Tips for young people with disabilities on effective strategies for building their first resume.
What can YOU do to promote positive messages and employment outcomes for people with disabilities? Use the Campaign for Disability Employment’s (CDE) tools and products, and join our important dialogue about the value people with disabilities bring to the workplace!
This site can help families and youth find workforce services in their area.
This site offers resources to increase the participation of people with disabilities in CIE.
Learn how Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) help students with disabilities get ready for jobs.
Check out the Employment resources on this PACER site.
Learn how to help your children and youth build independent skills for job success.
Increase effective middle school career development practices and expectations for students with complex disabilities.
O*NET is the main resource in the U.S. for information about different jobs and careers.
Explore careers, take assessments, create education plans, and connect with employers online.
Explore resources for succeeding during and after high school, including financial aid, careers & more.
Visit OK Edge to learn more about Individual Career and Academic Planning.
Learn about a program that focuses on community needs using a variety of transportation providers.
This website page from PACER has free downloads on many transition topics.
This document compares transition services requirements for Education, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), and Pre-Employment Transition Services.
These tools help students and families envision a good life and identify necessary supports.
This is the Policy Guide on Transition from Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Five practical strategies for helping their youth be successful when first looking for employment.
This brief outlines strategies to develop and implement work-based learning for students with complex needs.
This course explains work-based learning, its importance, and relevant laws for students with disabilities.
This website offers a comprehensive suite of workplace readiness training resources designed to support a wide range of learning needs. It features interactive activities and instructional materials that can be easily filtered by skill area, disability type, and other relevant categories. Trainings cover essential skills such as financial literacy, money management, communication, and other key competencies needed for success in the workplace.
In this video, youth share why employment is important to them.
In this 3 min video, a young man with autism shares his experiences with employment.