Counseling Components for Individuals with Disabilities

Counseling components for meeting special career requirements of people with disabilities are important to help ensure the individuals feel confident in their daily tasks and are successful in their careers. Many people with disabilities face challenges not only while trying to perform their duties but also when having to deal with the perceptions of others in the workplace toward someone with a disability. There is a ripple effect that is caused from this perception, the individual with the disability has to deal with the feelings that arise knowing that they are viewed or thought of in this way, that individual then may be less forthcoming when they need assistance and as a result be impeded to perform their duties and have a fulfilling career.

When counseling an individual with disabilities about their career it is important to make sure they understand that other peoples’ perceptions are not only incorrect but irrelevant. Unfortunately, this not something you can just tell anyone and have them accept it. People by nature want to be accepted.

Positive re-enforcement of the individuals self esteem combined with factual statements about achievements they have accomplished is a good way to start building their self-esteem. Giving them the tools to speak up and address the issue knowing that they can accomplish the task will allow them to do this with confidence. The individual should be able to speak to someone in H.R., a manager or the person with the negative opinion directly, depending on the situation. They should learn to bring the topic up without anger and to approach it with the intent to educate the person who is incorrect in having a negative opinion about anyone who has a disability just because they are different. Teaching the individual how to tactfully speak about the issue and practicing the conversation with them will make it much easier for them to overcome this incredibly large problem that people with disabilities face.

If the individuals’ self-esteem is low enough, they will also have issues with asking for assistance when they need it. The negative view of others will have them thinking thoughts such as “I don’t want people to think I am asking for special treatment”. There is no need for the individual to feel like this. There is nothing wrong with asking for assistance regardless of if you have a disability or not. A good way to counteract this way of thinking is to enforce the idea that everyone needs help at some point. Using real examples of situations where people without disabilities required assistance or could not have accomplished great feats without the support of others can be a positive motivator. Taking this route and talking through the situation with the individual before moving on to building up their self-esteem and giving them the tools to address the negative attitude towards them will provide them with the confidence they need to correct the situation.

When counseling someone with a disability about issues they face in their career it is important to remember that knowing they have support in addressing the situations will reenforce that they are doing the correct thing. How they are treated and the negative perceptions surrounding disabilities can affect their self-esteem, impede their abilities to perform their duties and stop them from asking for assistance when required. Helping them rebuild their self-esteem, teaching them how to address these situations and most importantly overcome the feelings of shame will help them to be happier and progress in their career.

Sources

Walz, Garry R & Bleur, Jeanne C. (2014). Disability and the Counseling Relationship: What Counselors Need to Know., Accessed: Nov. 10, 2021.

Cover Photo

Nappy. (2018, April 8). Man wearing black polo shirt and gray pants sitting on white chair · Free Stock photo. Pexels. Link