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Jobs for Stroke Victims

According to annual figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke each year. Nearly 25 percent of strokes occur in people under the age of 65. Stroke can cause significant disability, such as paralysis, speech difficulties and emotional problems (Reference 1). The Work After Stroke Project conducted by The University College of London in 2000 reports that only six percent of the 627 stroke survivors surveyed obtained a different job than they had before their stroke (Reference 2).

  1. Telecommuting Jobs

    • One of the most difficult aspects of returning to work for a stroke survivor is transportation. Non-profit organizations such as the National Telecommuting Institute (NTI) train homebound Americans who are physically disabled in order to prepare them for work-at-home jobs. According to NTI, jobs that can be filled from home include customer service positions, such as hotel or airline reservations by phone, billing department inquiries, catalog orders and technical support or assistance (Reference 3).

    Writing Jobs

    • Federal government positions for stroke victims are numerous and varied. The USAJobs.gov website has an entire section devoted to individuals with disabilities (Reference 4). Among those positions mentioned are those for writers. Whether writing million-dollar procurement contracts, technical manuals or text for museum displays, stroke victims can find fulfillment in writing positions.

    Stroke Victim Support Jobs

    • Positions assisting or supporting other stroke victims can be most rewarding. The American Stroke Association employs stroke survivors or their family members to offer support to other stroke victims on their Stroke Family Warmline (Reference 5). Other programs such as Marymount Manhattan College's Aphasia Program employ stroke survivors to work with other stroke victims and their families (Reference 6 http://www.mmm.edu/news/pastevents/byrddruckerfundreception.html).

    Large Corporation Jobs

    • Talent Knows No Limits is a California public education resource for the employment of people with disabilities. According to the Talent Knows No Limits website, large corporations such as Walgreen’s, Home Depot, Marriott and Pizza Hut hire individuals with disabilities (Reference 7 http://www.talentknowsnolimits.info/job-info_employer.html). The Home Depot even has an affinity group called Limitless for its disabled employees (Reference 8 https://careers.homedepot.com/cg/content.do?p=diversity). Disabled individuals, including stroke victims, can fill many vital roles with such national and international corporations.

    Technology Jobs

    • As reported by the Employment Guide website, the high-tech field is one area in which people with disabilities can easily work. Staci Kaczkowski works for Bender Consulting Serivces, a company that places consultants with disabilities. "Basically, with technology, disability is a non-issue," Kaczkowski said in an article about disabled workers advancing in high-tech careers. "When you're dealing with people on the other end of a computer, they have no idea if someone's using assistive technology." (Reference 8 http://www.employmentguide.com/careeradvice/Disabled_Workers_Advance.html).

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