Returning to work

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says the employment part of the Americans with Disabilities Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a qualified person with a disability. After July 26, 1994, that part covers employers with 15 or more employees. The same page warns that the booklet was written before the 2008 amendments, which broadened who counts as having a disability.

A reasonable accommodation is a change that lets a qualified person apply, do the essential parts of the job, or use the same benefits as other workers. Examples on the page include equipment, a changed schedule, reassignment to a vacant job, and a reader or interpreter. An employer provides it unless it would be a significant difficulty or expense. You do not pay for it, and the employer cannot cut your pay to cover the cost. If you need one, the page says it is generally your job to tell the employer.

The Job Accommodation Network says it gives free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations. Its contact page says staff are available 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. Email JAN@AskJAN.org. The phone on the home page is (800) 526-7234. JAN says it is not a law office. Ideas on its A to Z list are a starting point, not a rule for every job.

Ticket to Work is Social Security's employment program for people who get disability benefits and want to work. Choose Work says to call 1-866-968-7842, or TTY 1-866-833-2967, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. If someone offers you services, you can check that they are an authorized provider in Find Help. The SSI work page says that while you take part, Social Security will not do a regularly scheduled medical review to see if your condition has improved. There is no cost to you for the employment network.

SSDI and SSI do not use the same work rules. For 2026, the Red Book says a trial work month is $1,210 of earnings. The trial work period does not apply to SSI. After nine trial work months in a rolling 60-month period, Social Security looks at substantial gainful activity. For 2026 that amount is $1,690 a month, or $2,830 if you are blind. During the 36 months after the trial work period, cash benefits can stop in months over that level and can start again in months under it. Read the work page before you rely on a month count.

SSI uses a different math. The income page says the first $65 of earnings in a month is not counted, and then half of the rest is not counted, after another $20 that is not counted. Its 2026 example still uses a $994 federal rate. The SSI work page also says that working above the substantial level does not automatically end SSI or Medicaid if you still meet the disability and financial rules. Report wages. Social Security decides the month.

California: 250% Working Disabled Program

The Department of Health Care Services says this Medi-Cal program is for certain working disabled people. You must keep meeting the federal disability definition, without regard to substantial gainful activity. You must be working. There is no minimum number of hours or dollars. You show proof, such as a pay stub. Net family income must be under 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Countable assets must not exceed $130,000 for one person and $65,000 for each added person, up to 10 people. You must be eligible for SSI/SSP if earnings were not counted. The county enrolls you. As of July 1, 2022, premiums are $0. Questions about eligibility go to the county. The Medi-Cal Helpline on that page is (800) 541-5555, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Texas: Medicaid Buy-In for adults

Texas Health and Human Services says Medicaid Buy-In offers low-cost Medicaid to adults with disabilities who work. You may qualify if you have a disability, are working, live in Texas, and do not live full-time in a state institution or nursing home. Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com, at a local benefits office, or by calling 2-1-1. If you already get Social Security disability, you meet the disability rule. If you do not, HHSC reviews the disability.

The same page says monthly earnings from a job or self-employment must be less than $3,325 before taxes, deductions, or exclusions, and countable things you own must be no more than $5,000. A monthly payment, if there is one, cannot be more than $500. The page explains when a fee starts, including job income over $1,995 a month after certain taxes. The letter after you apply is what tells you the result.

California Department of Rehabilitation

If you are eligible, a counselor works with you on an employment goal. Services can include career counseling, assessment, college or career training, work readiness, assistive technology, job placement, and job coaching. That list is what the program can include. It is not a promise that every service is approved.

DOR is in an order of selection. New applicants who are found eligible are placed on a waiting list. People who already have a signed employment plan keep going. People who get Social Security disability benefits, or who have a valid Ticket to Work, are presumed eligible. The online application was not available when we checked the how-to apply page. Ask a local office for form DR 222.

Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation

This program is run by the Texas Workforce Commission. Its page says it helps people with disabilities get ready for, find, or keep a job, including adults and young students getting ready for life after school. Education and training is one of the headings on that page. Ask a counselor whether a service can be part of your plan. The 2025 primer lists vehicle modification services for work or training when a counselor writes them into the plan. Phones and a first-call script are on Getting a vehicle.

The vocational rehabilitation phone on that page is 512-936-6400. The TWC main number is 800-628-5115. The office address is 101 E 15th Street, Austin, TX 78778. The VR ombudsman email is vrombudsman@twc.texas.gov. Disability Rights Texas is named there as the Client Assistance Program, at 800-252-9108, for vocational rehabilitation concerns.

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance counselors explain how work can change Social Security, health coverage, and other benefits. Social Security's WIPA page says to call the Ticket to Work Help Line for a referral, at the same numbers above. Counseling is free. It is not a decision on your claim.

Choose Work has a Find a Job page for Social Security disability beneficiaries, and a Schedule A FAQ for federal hiring. California's Department of Rehabilitation explains Schedule A as an optional federal hiring path. You need a letter that says you have an intellectual, severe physical, or psychiatric disability. A doctor, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or an agency that provides disability benefits can write it. A DOR consumer can ask their counselor.

The Texas Workforce Commission site points people to WorkInTexas.com for jobs. That is the state job site named on the commission's pages. Any job seeker can use it. None of these boards is an endorsement, and none of them decides a benefit.