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Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities
What they do?
Instructors and teachers of persons with disabilities perform some or all of the following duties:
A. Instruct students who are blind or visually impaired in reading and writing Braille and in the use of special equipment
B. Instruct students who are deaf or hearing impaired in lip-reading, finger spelling and sign language, according to individual communication needs
C. Instruct students who are hearing impaired in formation and development of sounds for speech using hearing aids and other devices
D. Instruct individuals with physical disabilities and their families in the use of rehabilitative techniques, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and other equipment designed to minimize the effects of a disability
E. Assist individuals with intellectual impairments and physical disabilities to develop life skills, and provide job training and support.
What education do I need?
1. To work as an instructor or teacher of persons with disabilities, you usually need a bachelor's degree in special education or a related field such as psychology or social work. In some instances, a community college diploma and appropriate experience may replace a university education.
2. You must finish an appropriate training program in rehabilitation or special education.
3. To be a teacher working in public schools, you need a provincial/territorial teaching certificate.
4. To be an instructor of persons who are blind, you need certification by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
5. Many recent entrants have a community college diploma, and almost 2 in 5 have an undergraduate university degree.
High School Subject that will help:
1. Social Studies
2. English (Communication)
3. A Second Language
4. Biology
What can you expect to make:
The average hourly wages for Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities is $23.40/HR, which is close to the average for occupations in the social science, education, government service and religion and are above average for all technical, professional, and skilled occupations. These wages grew at an average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Average Wage
Expected Wage by Age
Unemployment:
2% of Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities are unemployed. This rate is close to the average for technical, professional, and skilled occupations.
Unemployment
Trends in Unemployment
Current Job Outlook:
The job outlook for Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities is considered Average because:
1. Employment grew at a below-average rate.
2. Hourly wages ($23.40) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is close to the average.
3. The unemployment rate (2%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).
Future Job Prospects:
Your job outlook will continue to be Average because:
1. The employment growth rate will likely be above average.
2. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings.
3. The number of job seekers will likely exceed the number of job openings.
Highest Concetration:
The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities are found in Ontario and British Columbia while the lowest concentrations are in Quebec and Newfoundland.
Unionization Rate:
The unionization rate (91%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations.
Useful Experience:
1. Interpersonal skills
2. Client/customer needs assessment
3. Facilitation skills
Part Time Workers
Part time workers:
25% of Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities are employed only on a part-time basis. There were 11,800 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, a decrease of 58% since 1997.
Age Demographics
Age Demographics:
The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average influenced by a similar-to-average retirement age (62).
