Employment & Training

For some people, returning to work after a traumatic brain injury can be difficult or impossible. But a good many people with traumatic brain injury do return to their old careers — or to new ones that bring fulfillment and a sense of self-worth.

Obstacles, often referred to in context with traumatic brain injury as environmental barriers, can make returning to work difficult — from stairs and long corridors to lack of transportation or the attitudes of other people. Existing laws can help overcome some of those barriers.

The Americans with Disability Act, which was passed in Congress in 1990, states that if a person has a condition that meets the definition of a disability — and this can include a brain injury — an employer is required to provide the individual with reasonable accommodations to perform his or her job.