One-Stop Centers offer a full array of employment services designed to empower each job seeker to achieve his or her highest career growth potential. For people with disabilities, access to a rewarding career can often feel like an "impossible dream"; many real and perceived obstacles often stand between these individuals and good job opportunities. Career empowerment for these individuals can therefore only be achieved by effectively addressing several critical issues, beginning with the obvious question:

What is the Definition of a Disability?
Based on the American’s with Disabilities Act*, (ADA) an individual is considered to have a "disability" if s/he meets at least one of the following tests:

1. has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
2. has a record of such an impairment
3. is regarded as having such an impairment.

*Note: As of January, 2001 a new California state law (A.B. 2222) is in effect that goes beyond the federal ADA provisions in several areas. Some of the California law's key provisions:

It will make it easier for employees to claim they have a disability by defining it as a problem that "limits" a major life activity, rather than one that "substantially limits" an activity, which is the definition under the federal law. A disability is considered to limit a major life activity if it makes its achievement "difficult". Major life activity is broadly construed to include physical, mental and social activities and working.



Unlike the ADA, the California law will not allow an employer to consider mitigating measures in determining whether an employee is disabled. For instance, an employee whose epilepsy is controlled by medication would be considered disabled under state law, but not under federal law.



When a disabled employee or applicant requests an accommodation, the state law will require the employer to engage in an "interactive process" in response to avoid liability.



It adds new prohibitions to state law with respect to pre-employment disability-related inquiries and testing. For example, it will be illegal for California employers to require any pre-employment medical or psychological exam unless it is job-related and consistent with business necessity, and all entering employees in the same job classification are subject to the same exam.

Perhaps a better definition of a disability, particularly from the viewpoint of the One-Stop professional, is this:

The benefit of this viewpoint is that it broadens the perspective taken by One-Stop placement professionals and allows them to:

• Anticipate the real or imagined problems that a One-Stop customer with a disability might face in his or her job search, and
• Develop a strategy for solving the real problems, and clarifying and overcoming the perceived obstacles.

It is also a good starting point for addressing the topics presented in the following chapters:

"Reality 101"
Before the career planning process begins, it’s crucial to conduct a "reality check" by asking this question: "What are the career obstacles that exist for people with disabilities, and how can One-Stop staff empower individuals to overcome these obstacles?" Only then can effective solutions and strategies be developed.

"AAA Spells Success"
The first step in designing a career plan is to determine what the job seeker has to offer. Determination of a person’s job-readiness is based on measuring the "3 A’s":

• Abilities
  
• Aspirations (interests)
  
• Attitudes (values)

A key goal of all One-Stop centers is to provide effective assessment tools that are accessible to job seekers with disabilities, to evaluate each client’s preparedness for career success and identify areas where additional training and job search preparation will strengthen his or her employability.

"Ready, Fire, Aim!"
The next step is to determine possible careers that match up with the job seeker’s "3 A’s". This section explains how to avoid "analysis paralysis" – getting bogged down trying to identify the "perfect job" before launching a job search. The "Ready, Fire, Aim!" approach of targeting careers is one that involves "active research" to explore alternatives that offer the best opportunities for success.