Specialized Accessibility Instructors
Formal Description
“Instructors of persons with disabilities teach children and adults using a variety of techniques to facilitate communication, rehabilitation, social skills and increased independence. They are employed in rehabilitation centres, specialized educational institutes and throughout the school system.” (NOC 2021)
Sample Job Titles
This category includes a variety of job titles that may not necessarily be reflected by the category title. For a full index of job titles, see the category entry on the ESDC site. Example job titles include:
Braille Instructor
Instructor of Persons with a Disability
Instructor of Persons with Special Needs
Intervenor
Orientation and Mobility Instructor
Rehabilitation Teacher
Sign Language Instructor
Special Programs Instructor
Typical Employment and Education Requirements
The requirements listed for each occupational category will tend to vary across particular roles, job titles, and contexts.
The following typical requirements are listed on the ESDC’s 2021 entry for this occupational category:
- Completion of a college program in special education, rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment or intellectual disability is required.
- A bachelor’s degree in special education or a related field such as social work or psychology may be required.
Success with a Social Sciences Undergraduate Degree and Beyond
When reviewing typical requirements, please remember:
- Degree and diploma listings often end with a purposefully open-ended phrase (“or a related field”, “or a similar discipline”) that acknowledges the variety and applicability of social sciences and liberal arts degrees.
- Employers often focus less on the name or title of a candidate’s degree, and more on how they articulate their transferable skills and experiences.
- Many qualifications and certifications are available as post-graduate certificates aimed at recent university graduates; these can make an excellent further education option for a social sciences or liberal arts degree.
Related Categories
Here are a few other categories that might interest you:
Related Sectors
Whereas Economic and Social Development Canada’s ‘occupational’ categories tend to focus more on the duties and functions that people play in specific roles, exploring careers by ‘sectors’ helps us to sort by employer type, industry, or general field of work. Here are just a few of the sectors that may be relevant to this category:
Academic Program Connections
As you select your program of study and the courses you will take, you can chart a path towards success in this sector from any one of our social sciences departments and programs. Here are just a few examples of academic disciplines that have connections with this sector:
Social Work Learn More
The combination of learning individualized support plans, compassion, advocacy and systems knowledge, makes a Social Work degree an excellent foundation for becoming an empathetic instructor for persons with disabilities.
Health, Aging & Society Learn More
Understanding the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging and health across the lifespan is helpful when instructing people with varied abilities and life experiences.
Sociology Learn More
Sociology emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion, creating a respectful, supportive and adaptive learning environment for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
Social Psychology Learn More
A degree in Social Psychology offers tools to understand how social cues and interactions shape behaviour, which is important for interpreting the needs of clients with disabilities.
