Community Outreach and Orientation
Community Outreach and Orientation
It’s common to hear myths and misconceptions about the wisdom of hiring a person with a disability, as well as about the ability of people with disabilities to find and maintain quality employment. Many employers, community-based organizations, and people with disabilities believe incorrectly that quality employment is impossible for people with disabilities.
The goal of community outreach and orientation is to inform employers, community-based organizations, and people with disabilities and their families that with the right services and supports, quality employment is not only possible, but as likely for a person with a disability as for a person without a disability.
The desired result is increased referrals for vocational rehabilitation services from community-based organizations and applications from people with disabilities.
How Does it Work?
There are many ways to approach a community outreach plan. Here are key elements to keep in mind when developing a plan that speaks to your community’s unique demographics and needs and results in your desired outcome:
- Develop relationships with key community and business stakeholders to better understand your audience.
- Define your goals, strategies, and audience based on your community.
- Work collaboratively with community and business stakeholders to develop engaging, culturally aware materials and activities targeted to your unique community
- Apply the SMART framework to develop your goals and activities:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
- Share information broadly through diverse channels:
- Public service announcements
- Community forums
- Listening sessions
- Job fairs
- Social media
- Radio interviews
- Accessible videos
- Podcasts
- Literature
- Be responsive to feedback and available for discussion to further inform and develop collaborations.

Featured Training
Selected resource and training materials to support community outreach and orientation:
Selected Resources
Selected resources for Community Outreach and Orientation:
Related Research
Project E3’s research summaries provide an “At-a-Glance” overview the latest research findings, as well as recommendations for best practices and how to incorporate them in your work.
- Examining Biases to Support Employment as a Means out of Poverty
- Raising Expectations for Youth with Disabilities
- Assessing the Climate of Disability Inclusion in the Workplace
- The Elephant in the Room: Poverty, Disability, and Employment
- The Benefits of Employing People with a Mental Health Disability
- Research on Community Needs and Resources Assessments from Project E3’s Research Library