[blindlaw] Seeking Advice

Angie Matney angie.matney at gmail.com
Sat Aug 16 13:30:57 UTC 2014


Excelent points. I decided to specifically mention blindness because I wanted to address questions the interviewers might have hesitated to ask for fear of violating ADA. I did frame the question in terms of job tasks. I was never asked an irrelevant question during a law-related interview, but one person in a grad school interview did ask how I cooked. I resisted the urge to ask if I would be expected to feed the entire math department. 

Angie


Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 15, 2014, at 3:23 PM, Sy Hoekstra via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I like Angie's approach. It is totally possible to get an offer though not
> bringing up your vision at all, which is what I did. I think the best way to
> counter the ever-lurking danger of prejudice is to be as professional,
> sharp, and prepared as possible. If they still think it's impossible or
> difficult for a visually impaired person to do the job because they don't
> know how it works logistically, there is probably relatively little you can
> do to convince them otherwise. It's terrible, but there are enough smart
> recruiters out there that I'm sure you will land a great summer gig.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Angie
> Matney via blindlaw
> Sent: Friday, August 15, 2014 12:38 PM
> To: Derek Manners; Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Seeking Advice
> 
> I never disclosed blindness prior to on-campus (on-grounds, at UVA)
> interviews, and I landed several opportunities that way, including a
> summer position with my current employer. I am totally blind also. I
> specifically remember the interview that landed me the summer job with
> the firm I work for now. At the end, I asked the two attorneys if they
> wanted to ask me about how I would perform certain tasks. They said,
> "No, we assume based on your resume that you're capable of doing the
> job." (If only we all were so lucky to get that response every time.)
> I did talk with them a little about braille and screen-readers. And of
> course I had to provide more specific information later. But the
> strategy of just showing up worked well for me. Best of luck.
> 
>> On 8/14/14, Derek Manners via blindlaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I'm in the process of OCI right now. I'd be happy to share my strategy
> with
>> you.
>> 
>> Feel free to call. 9032716494.
>> 
>> It's been somewhat successful. I've gotten two call backs at two firms I'm
>> interested in, 3 no's, and haven't heard from several others. I'm applying
>> for too firms in DC so it's probably slightly different but the strategy
>> should be the same.
>> 
>> Best
>> Derek
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Aug 14, 2014, at 10:38 PM, "Stewart, Christopher K via blindlaw"
>>> <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Listers,
>>> 
>>> I have several on campus interviews coming up. The good news is, I
>>> have a good resume and am very qualified. The bad news is, I don't
>>> know how to communicate that the fact that I am totally blind does not
>>> somehow mean I can't work as quickly, efficiently, or with the same
>>> degree of quality as a sighted person.
>>> 
>>> Has anyone had luck with an on campus interview? Has anyone found a
>>> way to allay people's concerns in the context of these 20 minute
>>> interviews?
>>> 
>>> Thanks,
>>> Chris
>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Chris K. Stewart
>>> University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D. Candidate, 2016
>>> Staff Editor, Kentucky Law Journal
>>> Co-President, American Constitution Society
>>> California Institute of the Arts, B.F.A. 2010
>>> Ph:
>>> (502)457-1757
>>> 
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>> 
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> om
> 
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