Yesenia Vasquez is deaf and working. The Manhattan College in Riverdale graduate?s job at the center revolves around helping other hearing-impaired people learn computer skills, how to write resumes and approach employers to get jobs.

"I've always been active and I've always been, always wanted to improve that type of advocacy and the quality of life for deaf people,? said Vasquez, an independent living specialist. ?So that's what's really my work here and to make deaf people independent."

Employment for the disabled can also be more than an issue of self-sufficiency; it can be an issue of income. Whether it is disability, Supplemental Support Income (SSI) or welfare, the average government check is not enough to live on, said Lucy Birbiglia of the Queens center. That puts the disabled in the position of seeking ways to become competitive job hunters in an already difficult market...
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Suggested intro: Finding work can often be a tough job. For people with disabilities the job can be even harder.

"Traditionally, even in the best employment climate people with disabilities have a 70 percent unemployment rate. That's 70. Seven-oh, compared with three, four, five and six percent in the general population,? said Lucy Birbiglia, executive director of the Queens Independent Living Center, an advocacy and education center for the disabled. ?And people with disabilities are generally the last hired and the first fired in most job situations."

For the disabled, the weakened economy has lead to layoffs, rejection and difficulty achieving or maintaining independence. Centers like the one in Queens are working to help the disabled use their time as unemployed workers to become better skilled and more competitive job seekers through education and support.