Job searching for students with a disability

Each year, Student Career Services hosts a workshop series for students and recent graduates who experience barriers to the labour market due to a physical or mental impairment (e.g. autism, ADHD, RSI, chronic fatigue, long-term injury effects, etc.).

During the workshop, you will:

• Meet like-minded students in a similair situation
• Learn about relevant laws and regulations
• Understand inclusive hiring practices
• Discover your strengths and talents
• Build self-confidence and focus on your abilities
• Learn how to brand yourself to the labour market

Go to Events Calendar

Meet one-on-one with a career coach for tailored advice and guidance.

Schedule appointment

• NoWURries: Student Support Group for students who feel prevented from fully enjoying student life because of different reasons. A possibility to meet up with peers to learn from the experiences of others and empower each other through mutual support.
• Students Support Students: Student-led community that facilitates informal meet ups with fellow students who run into the same issues as you while studying at WUR (whether neurodiversity, mental health challenges, any kind of disability, informal caregiving, parenting while studying or other struggles).
• Giftedness: Discussion groups for gifted students and for those who are investigating whether they are gifted and/or highly sensitive, to exchange experiences and learn from each other, facilitated by a student psychologist.

• SWOM: Studeren en Werken Op Maat: Assists young professionals with employment disabilities in finding a full-fledged position, matching your talents and qualities. Annually, SWOM Foundation guides over 200 young professionals to an internship, traineeship or sustainable position with one of their 90 leading partner organisations.
• Auticafé: Organises network events in Wageningen, for (young) adults with a form of autism.
• Employment agency Autitalent: Specializes in matching people with autism to the labour market.
• De Normaalste Zaak: Growing network of +700 organisations working together to build an inclusive labor market.
• Ctalents: Community for people with audio and visual impairment involved in job coaching and talent matching with employers.
• Het Doelgroepregister – Banenafspraak (The Target Group Register): includes individuals covered by the Dutch Jobs Agreement — an initiative between the government and employers to create extra jobs for people with a work disability. The register is managed by UWV. Employers can check if someone is listed and may be eligible for support measures and incentives.
• Individual Placement and Support (IPS): Proven reintegration method for people with serious mental health conditions. It helps individuals who are in treatment to find and keep paid employment. An IPS specialist supports the job search and provides long-term coaching at the workplace. IPS is more effective than traditional reintegration methods and is integrated with mental health care.
• Hoger onderwijs toegankelijk: Working with disability or support needs: Useful information and links to websites about working with a disability.

• Traineeships European Central Bank: for candidates on the autism spectrum in data science, systems and processes.
• ITVitae: Mediation, training and coaching for ICT specialists: Organisation that helps young people with autism/giftedness regardless of prior education.
• De Koekfabriek: an organisation that offers jobs for people with a labour market disadvantage.
• Working in the Dutch central government with a disability: Team Diversity & Inclusion, part of the Ministry of the Interior, mediates and supervises people with disabilities for the central government. We take into account your talents, abilities and your education and look for work that suits you well. Together with you and your future employer, we determine the work you will do.
• NVWA: The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) oversee the safety of food and consumer products, animal welfare and the protection of nature. The NVWA received the Rick-Brink-Award for being the best inclusive organisation in 2024.

• Prejudices and advantages: An interesting article in the newspaper NRC about Autism.
• Employability of people with neurodiversity: An interesting article (in Dutch) in the newspaper NRC.
• When all minds thrive: a book by Saskia Schepers about the competitive advantage of neurodiversity in the workplace.