The case revolves around a 22-year-old male, John, whose age category is “Younger Individuals.” It is important to note that the client’s educational category is high school. The case presents an individual who has no evident physical disabilities but has certain learning or cognitive ones, which is especially prominent in math skills. Since he is capable of performing physical labor and any form of work, which does not involve strenuous cognitive skills, his Residual Functional Capacity is a non-complex low stress work with an emphasis on physical labor. In accordance with the Dictionary of Occupational Titles or DOT, John’s category, he is capable of handling medium work due to his short stature and low weight of 120 lbs. (Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), n.d.). John does not need any form of reasonable accommodations and assistive technologies.
The three jobs interesting for John are web designer, video game creator, and truck driver. For the latter, the DOT Code is 905.663-014, whereas the code for a web designer can be 141.061-038 for commercial designers or 030.062-010 for software engineers (DOT, n.d.). It is important to point out the fact that the code will depend on whether or not the emphasis of the position is put on design elements or code-related technical aspects (DOT, n.d.). The code 030.062-010 for software engineers is also applicable for video game developer jobs (DOT, n.d.). Therefore, the first two jobs of interest are mostly in the field of information technology areas, whereas the truck driving occupation is preferred by John for the potential growth into a business, which he can one day own himself.
Both web designer and video game developer positions require an in-depth knowledge of programming languages, which rely heavily on one capability for operating and working with math at an advanced level. In other words, John’s RFC on jobs not requiring a high level of math can become a major hindrance in regards to these positions. In addition, these two positions are highly complex jobs, which counteracts with John’s RFC in regards to non-complex jobs. Therefore, the only job, which is compatible with the client’s RFC is the truck driver position because it is not as complex as the other two, and driving does not rely heavily on math.
Although truck driving can be a stressful job, it is not evident if it is true, and thus, it is important for John to experience the job-related himself and determine whether he can handle it. The truck driver job is also compatible with John’s RFC because he scored high at being an excellent worker, who follows instructions, has an outstanding attitude and motivation, and is punctual. All of these qualities are highly important for truck driving jobs. In modern conditions, the social adaptation of disabled people is becoming the most important function of society, all of its governing bodies and social institutions. By social adaptation, we mean the process of including a person with disabilities in the social environment, his adaptation to existing living conditions and employment, the system of norms and values.
Despite the fact that the problem of employment and employment of people with disabilities in modern society is very relevant, nevertheless, in everyday life, people with disabilities experience difficulties in getting a job. In accordance with OOH, there are 2,029,900 truck driving jobs in the United States (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2021). It is stated that “employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations. As the demand for goods increases, more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving” (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2021, para. 11). In other words, one can see that there are plenty of truck driving positions, which will only increase in demand post-pandemic due to the removal of restrictions and lockdowns.
In addition, the job does not require advanced degrees or work experience because the majority of training procedures are conducted on-site. In accordance with JAN, it is stated that “it is up to the employee to disclose the disability and ask for accommodations when he feels there may be performance or conduct issues that are tied to the disability” (Job Accommodation Network, n.d., para. 2). In other words, John will need to request accommodations if he experiences any form of difficulties in his truck driver job. One of such accommodations might involve designing a simpler format for refueling and distance measurements, which are conducted by the supporting coordinators. However, it is important to note that John’s math skills might be sufficient enough to handle these rather easy operations. JAN puts a great deal of emphasis on intellectual impairments in regards to reading, which is not present in John, which is why the selected job position might not require any form of accommodation.
Taking into account the insights obtained from the analysis, we believe that at the level of educational institutions, it is important to intensify social work at the stage of vocational training in order to form the motivation for young people with health problems to work. For these purposes, it is important to develop recommendations aimed at the formation of motivation and professional self-determination. The activities need to include various training, consultations, conversations, career guidance work, and even role-playing games. Activities should be aimed at the psychological preparation of the future specialist, developing his active professional position, increasing motivation, determining his place in the labor sphere.
Thus, the solution to the problem of employment of young people with disabilities, like John, consists not only in state incentives for employers to hire people with disabilities and creating special jobs for them, but also in organizing their preparation for employment at the level of an educational institution, and further support after graduation. In this regard, it becomes necessary to use key resource centers, such as JAN, OOH, and DOT, which interact with both educational institutions and employment centers. This work will allow young people with disabilities to be motivated to work and find a job based on the received analysis of their strengths and weaknesses.
The short-term goals for John should primarily focus on ensuring that he lands a truck driver job successfully. These are:
- Try to complete the 12th grade with a diploma
- Acquire a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
- Apply for truck driver positions
- Successfully complete his on-job training
- Identify and request accommodations, if needed
The long-term goals for John should focus on establishing him as a highly skilled professional in his career path in order to enable his transition towards starting his own firm. These are:
- Become an expert truck driver
- Save money from his salary
- Create a business plan for his trucking firm
- Find investors
- Launch the company with a team of professional
References
Dictionary of Occupational Titles. (n.d.). Software engineer (profess. & kin.). Web.
Job Accommodation Network. (n.d.). Cognitive impairment and the interactive process. Web.
Occupational Outlook Handbook. (2021). Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Web.