Statistics on Employment Numbers for People with Disabilities

Thursday, October 12th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

(Cleo Krejci, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Over the past 15 years, Zach Mann has taught people from ages 4 to 80 how to use assistive technology.

But, according to Cleo Krejci with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, despite his love for IT, he has struggled to find consistent work in his chosen field. He’s not surprised that employers often reject his job applications.

The unemployment rate for people who are blind or visually impaired, like he is, is disproportionately high: only 44% for working-age people with blindness or visual impairments have jobs, according to the American Foundation for the Blind.

Nationally, federal data show the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is about double that of other workers. "I don't get replies, or answers back, or second interviews or anything. It's a single interview, and that's it," said Mann, 31, who lives in West Allis and grew up in Wisconsin.

This summer, Mann decided to get an associate's degree in cybersecurity and IT networking to open up his job prospects; he hopes to someday start his own IT business. Also taking classes this fall is 20-year-old Ariela Luna from Milwaukee, who says she wants to work with people in doctor's offices as a medical assistant.

While Mann and Luna don't know each other, they are both participants in a state grant program that covers costs like tuition, living expenses, transportation and assistive technology for people with disabilities who want to work in specific high-demand fields.

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the state agency that assists people with disabilities in searching for work, said it typically caps per-person spending for education and training at $6,000 annually.

But an ongoing grant, which received additional funds last month, removes the funding cap for people pursuing jobs in healthcare, IT, manufacturing or construction. Mann started working toward his degree at Waukesha County Technical College in June, and Luna is a first-year student at Milwaukee Area Technical College this fall.

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