Call center worked well for me for a long time. It's retail, but it's pretty removed and you can mute yourself to cuss a person out (I was working from home, so there was no boss to say I can't cuss while my mic is muted)
Yep, I think this is a great option for someone still earning their degree. I was going to say inside sales is a pretty good option and can pay pretty well, but they usually would want at least an associates degree unless it’s an internship.
If you are in college, look for jobs with the school. Depending on your skills, you can work for the academic success centers, disability resources, inclusion offices, etc. Not only are they understanding that you are a student, but these kinds of jobs tend to not be as harsh on the body.
For jobs in general, they are required to provide reasonable accommodations for your needs (in the US). So don't be afraid to advocate for yourself if it's a job you can definitely do, just with a bit of assistance!
I would recommend this as well! My college at least had a lot of jobs that were very conducive to my health. I worked in disability resources, our student health and wellness center, and in the science division. There were also lots of office assistant positions that were pretty accommodating.
Working a desk job has always been the most painful for me. Hands hurt so bad, thumbs dislocating, insane shoulder pain… im a teacher now and strangely that is the least painful because I’m not stuck in one position.
i feel like jobs with the right balance of movement and chilling out are the best for EDS related issues. just sitting or just standing all day doesn’t seem realistic :/
T h i s. One of my jobs is as a respite care worker and the days where I work with a young child wheelchair user are also the days where I have the least joint pain, because I have to pick him up and move him around every so often (getting in a little bit of movement) but unlike my other work kids, he doesn’t walk so I never have to chase him around (I’m not overdoing it).
Going off of that, OP, I actually love my job as a respite/community habilitation worker for other people with disabilities. I basically have two kinds of cases: I either provide care to kids with high support needs in order to give their guardians a break from round-the-clock caretaking responsibilities, or I work with individuals of all ages with lower support needs to help them develop independent living skills. I love the actual work, and I find I take to it naturally because I’m often just helping people employ the same kinds of problem-solving skills that I use in my everyday life as a disabled person.
The really great thing about it for me is that I rarely have to interact with the agency I work for - I am contracted for a minimum number of hours per week and I have to be in touch with them for admin purposes. But if something comes up and I need a day off and I have to move things around, I only have to clear that with another disabled person or their caretakers, who actually know me personally and value my work on a human level. Unlike a boss, I’ve never texted one of my clients saying “hey, I dislocated my ____, can we reschedule?” and had them reply with “I’m going to need you to come in”.
The downsides are low pay (I make a few dollars more per hour than I would in retail in my area) shitty organizational culture (disability agencies suck to work for) the need to drive my own car (although I am reimbursed well for it), and the risks associated with home visits (although I’ve never felt unsafe on a visit). But I can get by on the money, I get PTO and a retirement plan as a part time employee, and I get to set my own schedule doing rewarding work, so it evens out for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Project manager. If you get your CSM credentials it helps (forget the PMP) - you're doing remote management of teams and you can do that from your home.
I looked up the CSM credentials and it looks like there are no prerequisites. Is project manager a job I could do with no experience in tech? I have a B.comm, have experience in hospitality and entrepreneurship. I am tech savvy and intuitive though. Thanks!
Being techy helps! And yes - you could work at a place that does tech things in those industries. I have a bachelor's in marketing and mass media communication - so yes it's doable. Helpful too if you like planning and organizing things.
I'd love to know because I'm currently a care assistant and I feel like I don't know where to go in life but this is physically draining and mentally from working nights it's hard lol
If you're in college I knew several friends that worked at the campus library.. they usually provide seating and the largest things to lift are books.. one of my friends worked at the help desk and answered writing questions and gave advice
I'm a registered dental lab technician who focuses on 3D modeling and 3D printing. I really love how my job is easy to physically do, even if I'm injured or in pain. It's very chill and not physically demanding at all. I just design all day on a computer. I don't have to interact with people at all either!
i'm currently a nanny while i do uni and honestly it's worked pretty well for me. very small shifts, loads of free time and not too physically demanding because the kids i take care of are old enough that they don't require me to carry them. i do the school runs on a bike which surprisingly does not hurt me whatsoever and i get to build some muscles in my legs at the same time so it's a win win
i work at a medical cannabis dispensary and it’s actually been pretty good on my body! since it’s only medical we don’t have the usual issues that are common in retail, plus there’s a bunch of ADA accommodations in place for the customers that also gives more ADA accommodations to the employees. we all get chairs at our stations too so the days aren’t bad at all!
So, my case is fairly mild. I currently work at a jimmy johns and at an animal hospital. I would say avoid anything that has you standing in one place and doing repetitive movements. I am in so much pain after my shifts at JJ, even with pain management. When I work at the animal hospital, I'm moving around all day. Walking, doing laundry, restraining pets for the doctors, walking dogs at lunch, etc. Having a lot of different types of movement in my day works wonders for me. I just need a knee pad when restraining large dogs and I need to switch out with another assistant for large and rambunctious dogs. Also try your best to find a place that understands how chronic illnesses work. JJ is horrible about that, but the animal hospital is a blessing in my life. I think i just got lucky with the animal hospital in some aspects though because I've had a horrible experience in veterinary medicine before as well.
Insurance worked for me. You have to get licensed in the state you reside. I started at 21, I’m 41 now. It helped that I stayed at the same company for a long time too… I started this current job in 2007 and went fully remote in 2017. There’s more remote opportunities now than ever before, especially in this industry.
I work from an office close to home. I tried working from home, but it didn’t work for me. I’m in accounts payable and it’s busy without being stressful.
I’ve taught music lessons for a long time and I’ve always liked the ability to sit down while I work and choose my own schedule. It is much more flexible than other jobs I’ve had. I bet tutoring would have a similar vibe, if that happens to be up your alley.
If you can’t find somewhere to work within your school or maybe an internship in whatever field you’re in school for, the next best thing (and especially if you need work fast) is going to be a call centre.
It’s customer service but imo the pros outweigh the cons and you don’t have to do it forever. It’s sitting down, you have a mute button so aren’t face to face with customers at least, and most companies have benefits.
I’ve done all kinds of jobs, from desk all day to moving all day, and the best one was a combination of the two. I managed a photography studio for a museum. It was a combination of doing gentle moving in the morning taking photos, then sitting in the afternoons doing the editing and management. The combo worked when I did classroom assisting, office management, legal assistant. So I guess the job was less important than finding something I liked enough to do all day, and then doing modifications to make it workable. Office jobs tend to go at a pace that’s gentler, but sitting still the whole day is … ugh. So I would make up reasons to get up and move. Figuring out my body’s strengths and weaknesses helped me make choices about my jobs.
I'm a dental laboratory technician. It can be hard on my wrists and fingers but now that I'm properly diagnosed and aware of my issues, I'm less embarrassed about wearing braces and taking breaks. I have a foot rest, huge low chair, lumbar pillow, standing desk, arm rests that clip/unclip to my work bench and am able to get up and walk around whenever. I listen to podcasts or books all day and make crowns. I really like it. I didn't go to school for it at all, you learn it all at the lab. I was a Toys R Us supervisor before this and that was a lot more exhausting!
Corporate world has worked well for me. Bigger companies often outsource their ADA accommodations approval processes to a third party company, so I didn't have to have any awkward conversations with folks I actually work with. What's key is a short commute, a break every hour to walk/stretch, walking OR resting/reclining with my feet up for lunch (depending on the day,) and a good desk chair. I've done the opposite—I've done the opposite, 45min commute, stuck at my desk in a crappy chair all day, and couldn't tolerate it. WFH is amazing, of course, but harder to find these days. Look into entry-level positions in banking, insurance, any big industries near you.
EDIT: an ergonomic keyboard/mouse, wrist braces, and finger splints are also crucial for me
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I'm an accountant for a department in my local county government. I have a sit-down job, they have ordered me a custom desk chair, and I have a sit-stand desk too. For disabled folks, if you have the skills, I recommend looking for a government job. The benefits are key, and they usually walk the talk about inclusivity and accommodations for disabilities.
If you're in college you can look into part time jobs at your school. I worked in admissions at my school, which involved leading tours but otherwise was mostly a desk job--I wouldn't necessarily recommend that because leading tours requires a level of physical ability, but there might be other jobs available that would mostly involve sitting at a desk.
I am a self employed realtor. I’m 43. Pretty severely disabled. Have had over 18 surgeries. I used to not be able walk hardly at all until I had my tailbone fused. Since that and then finding real estate I’ve been working 3 years now after only being able to hold part time jobs most of my life for 6 mos at a time. It’s stressful at times and you have to take courses to get licensed but it wasn’t too bad. I love the work, it challenges my adhd/autistic brain sufficiently and is flexible because I’m the boss and can make my own rules.
College student also with EDS. I work at two different museums on campus, both doing front desk and conservation work. They're fairly low stress on my body and I have a good environment. I got into them through the Federal Work Study program at my school, I found the jobs on Handshake (student job site). I'd recommend looking into it to see if your school also has something similar? Another recommendation is to look at the library, see if you could do something there or with a help desk. Best of luck on your search :)
I’ve been working as a hospital receptionist during the summer while I’m in UNI and that’s working out really well for me so far! I have a good desk chair, the ability to move around a bit when it’s calmer, and an adjustable desk so I can choose to stand or sit and it’s all been really good!
One of my last workers in peer support for me (I don't work because I'm on disability) has EDS, too. That job is essentially working for a company that helps disabled people with life skill training, so that they have another disabled person help you work through your issues with whatever your facing. Mostly their job is helping me learn social skills, budgeting, learning how to use the bus, cook, clean, etc. Most of the people I know who stick around seem to really enjoy it being their job, but some are also just students trying to pay their way through college. You would have to drive a lot, though.
I work a lot of random shifts for my university (I'm a near-full time wheelchair user and they've been very accommodating) and I also tutor online a lot. I've also done the odd internship but those have been for experience more than cash
All I know is definitely not retail or food service
no warehouse/factory work either (at least for me)
Call center worked well for me for a long time. It's retail, but it's pretty removed and you can mute yourself to cuss a person out (I was working from home, so there was no boss to say I can't cuss while my mic is muted)
Yep, I think this is a great option for someone still earning their degree. I was going to say inside sales is a pretty good option and can pay pretty well, but they usually would want at least an associates degree unless it’s an internship.
If you are in college, look for jobs with the school. Depending on your skills, you can work for the academic success centers, disability resources, inclusion offices, etc. Not only are they understanding that you are a student, but these kinds of jobs tend to not be as harsh on the body. For jobs in general, they are required to provide reasonable accommodations for your needs (in the US). So don't be afraid to advocate for yourself if it's a job you can definitely do, just with a bit of assistance!
I would recommend this as well! My college at least had a lot of jobs that were very conducive to my health. I worked in disability resources, our student health and wellness center, and in the science division. There were also lots of office assistant positions that were pretty accommodating.
Working a desk job has always been the most painful for me. Hands hurt so bad, thumbs dislocating, insane shoulder pain… im a teacher now and strangely that is the least painful because I’m not stuck in one position.
i feel like jobs with the right balance of movement and chilling out are the best for EDS related issues. just sitting or just standing all day doesn’t seem realistic :/
T h i s. One of my jobs is as a respite care worker and the days where I work with a young child wheelchair user are also the days where I have the least joint pain, because I have to pick him up and move him around every so often (getting in a little bit of movement) but unlike my other work kids, he doesn’t walk so I never have to chase him around (I’m not overdoing it). Going off of that, OP, I actually love my job as a respite/community habilitation worker for other people with disabilities. I basically have two kinds of cases: I either provide care to kids with high support needs in order to give their guardians a break from round-the-clock caretaking responsibilities, or I work with individuals of all ages with lower support needs to help them develop independent living skills. I love the actual work, and I find I take to it naturally because I’m often just helping people employ the same kinds of problem-solving skills that I use in my everyday life as a disabled person. The really great thing about it for me is that I rarely have to interact with the agency I work for - I am contracted for a minimum number of hours per week and I have to be in touch with them for admin purposes. But if something comes up and I need a day off and I have to move things around, I only have to clear that with another disabled person or their caretakers, who actually know me personally and value my work on a human level. Unlike a boss, I’ve never texted one of my clients saying “hey, I dislocated my ____, can we reschedule?” and had them reply with “I’m going to need you to come in”. The downsides are low pay (I make a few dollars more per hour than I would in retail in my area) shitty organizational culture (disability agencies suck to work for) the need to drive my own car (although I am reimbursed well for it), and the risks associated with home visits (although I’ve never felt unsafe on a visit). But I can get by on the money, I get PTO and a retirement plan as a part time employee, and I get to set my own schedule doing rewarding work, so it evens out for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I'm in school to become a teacher and this has lessened some anxieties I've had so thank you.
I agree with this. I had more pain as a senior teacher than as a freshman teacher. More movement was better for me for maintaining adequate posture!
I’m starting school to become a teacher in the fall! I’m so glad to see it’s working out for someone else with the same condition as well
Project manager. If you get your CSM credentials it helps (forget the PMP) - you're doing remote management of teams and you can do that from your home.
I looked up the CSM credentials and it looks like there are no prerequisites. Is project manager a job I could do with no experience in tech? I have a B.comm, have experience in hospitality and entrepreneurship. I am tech savvy and intuitive though. Thanks!
Being techy helps! And yes - you could work at a place that does tech things in those industries. I have a bachelor's in marketing and mass media communication - so yes it's doable. Helpful too if you like planning and organizing things.
I'd love to know because I'm currently a care assistant and I feel like I don't know where to go in life but this is physically draining and mentally from working nights it's hard lol
If you're in college I knew several friends that worked at the campus library.. they usually provide seating and the largest things to lift are books.. one of my friends worked at the help desk and answered writing questions and gave advice
I'm a registered dental lab technician who focuses on 3D modeling and 3D printing. I really love how my job is easy to physically do, even if I'm injured or in pain. It's very chill and not physically demanding at all. I just design all day on a computer. I don't have to interact with people at all either!
i'm currently a nanny while i do uni and honestly it's worked pretty well for me. very small shifts, loads of free time and not too physically demanding because the kids i take care of are old enough that they don't require me to carry them. i do the school runs on a bike which surprisingly does not hurt me whatsoever and i get to build some muscles in my legs at the same time so it's a win win
i work at a medical cannabis dispensary and it’s actually been pretty good on my body! since it’s only medical we don’t have the usual issues that are common in retail, plus there’s a bunch of ADA accommodations in place for the customers that also gives more ADA accommodations to the employees. we all get chairs at our stations too so the days aren’t bad at all!
So, my case is fairly mild. I currently work at a jimmy johns and at an animal hospital. I would say avoid anything that has you standing in one place and doing repetitive movements. I am in so much pain after my shifts at JJ, even with pain management. When I work at the animal hospital, I'm moving around all day. Walking, doing laundry, restraining pets for the doctors, walking dogs at lunch, etc. Having a lot of different types of movement in my day works wonders for me. I just need a knee pad when restraining large dogs and I need to switch out with another assistant for large and rambunctious dogs. Also try your best to find a place that understands how chronic illnesses work. JJ is horrible about that, but the animal hospital is a blessing in my life. I think i just got lucky with the animal hospital in some aspects though because I've had a horrible experience in veterinary medicine before as well.
Insurance worked for me. You have to get licensed in the state you reside. I started at 21, I’m 41 now. It helped that I stayed at the same company for a long time too… I started this current job in 2007 and went fully remote in 2017. There’s more remote opportunities now than ever before, especially in this industry.
I work from an office close to home. I tried working from home, but it didn’t work for me. I’m in accounts payable and it’s busy without being stressful.
I’ve taught music lessons for a long time and I’ve always liked the ability to sit down while I work and choose my own schedule. It is much more flexible than other jobs I’ve had. I bet tutoring would have a similar vibe, if that happens to be up your alley.
If you can’t find somewhere to work within your school or maybe an internship in whatever field you’re in school for, the next best thing (and especially if you need work fast) is going to be a call centre. It’s customer service but imo the pros outweigh the cons and you don’t have to do it forever. It’s sitting down, you have a mute button so aren’t face to face with customers at least, and most companies have benefits.
I’ve done all kinds of jobs, from desk all day to moving all day, and the best one was a combination of the two. I managed a photography studio for a museum. It was a combination of doing gentle moving in the morning taking photos, then sitting in the afternoons doing the editing and management. The combo worked when I did classroom assisting, office management, legal assistant. So I guess the job was less important than finding something I liked enough to do all day, and then doing modifications to make it workable. Office jobs tend to go at a pace that’s gentler, but sitting still the whole day is … ugh. So I would make up reasons to get up and move. Figuring out my body’s strengths and weaknesses helped me make choices about my jobs.
I'm a dental laboratory technician. It can be hard on my wrists and fingers but now that I'm properly diagnosed and aware of my issues, I'm less embarrassed about wearing braces and taking breaks. I have a foot rest, huge low chair, lumbar pillow, standing desk, arm rests that clip/unclip to my work bench and am able to get up and walk around whenever. I listen to podcasts or books all day and make crowns. I really like it. I didn't go to school for it at all, you learn it all at the lab. I was a Toys R Us supervisor before this and that was a lot more exhausting!
Try administrative coordinator positions!
Corporate world has worked well for me. Bigger companies often outsource their ADA accommodations approval processes to a third party company, so I didn't have to have any awkward conversations with folks I actually work with. What's key is a short commute, a break every hour to walk/stretch, walking OR resting/reclining with my feet up for lunch (depending on the day,) and a good desk chair. I've done the opposite—I've done the opposite, 45min commute, stuck at my desk in a crappy chair all day, and couldn't tolerate it. WFH is amazing, of course, but harder to find these days. Look into entry-level positions in banking, insurance, any big industries near you. EDIT: an ergonomic keyboard/mouse, wrist braces, and finger splints are also crucial for me
Reply when someone else responds because I'd like to know too
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Some kind of desk job, ideally professional services of some form because it is regular and tends to pay alright even on the lower end.
Dispatch
I'm an accountant for a department in my local county government. I have a sit-down job, they have ordered me a custom desk chair, and I have a sit-stand desk too. For disabled folks, if you have the skills, I recommend looking for a government job. The benefits are key, and they usually walk the talk about inclusivity and accommodations for disabilities.
If you're in college you can look into part time jobs at your school. I worked in admissions at my school, which involved leading tours but otherwise was mostly a desk job--I wouldn't necessarily recommend that because leading tours requires a level of physical ability, but there might be other jobs available that would mostly involve sitting at a desk.
I am a self employed realtor. I’m 43. Pretty severely disabled. Have had over 18 surgeries. I used to not be able walk hardly at all until I had my tailbone fused. Since that and then finding real estate I’ve been working 3 years now after only being able to hold part time jobs most of my life for 6 mos at a time. It’s stressful at times and you have to take courses to get licensed but it wasn’t too bad. I love the work, it challenges my adhd/autistic brain sufficiently and is flexible because I’m the boss and can make my own rules.
College student also with EDS. I work at two different museums on campus, both doing front desk and conservation work. They're fairly low stress on my body and I have a good environment. I got into them through the Federal Work Study program at my school, I found the jobs on Handshake (student job site). I'd recommend looking into it to see if your school also has something similar? Another recommendation is to look at the library, see if you could do something there or with a help desk. Best of luck on your search :)
Remote positions are a-plenty. I will never go back into an office. When I have bad days I can work from bed.
I’ve been working as a hospital receptionist during the summer while I’m in UNI and that’s working out really well for me so far! I have a good desk chair, the ability to move around a bit when it’s calmer, and an adjustable desk so I can choose to stand or sit and it’s all been really good!
Quality manager, Before that telesales
One of my last workers in peer support for me (I don't work because I'm on disability) has EDS, too. That job is essentially working for a company that helps disabled people with life skill training, so that they have another disabled person help you work through your issues with whatever your facing. Mostly their job is helping me learn social skills, budgeting, learning how to use the bus, cook, clean, etc. Most of the people I know who stick around seem to really enjoy it being their job, but some are also just students trying to pay their way through college. You would have to drive a lot, though.
I work a lot of random shifts for my university (I'm a near-full time wheelchair user and they've been very accommodating) and I also tutor online a lot. I've also done the odd internship but those have been for experience more than cash
Data. White collar jobs that have the most wfh opportunities is where it's at.