[humanser] JOBS

Tue Jan 6 02:30:43 UTC 2009

I completely agree with Charlotte. While it may seem like a pain to file a 
complaint, it does get the company's attention.

Best,
Kathy McGillivray
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charlotte Czarnecki" <czarnecki17 at comcast.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2009 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] JOBS

> Ronit:
>
> You can still file a charge of discrimination with the eeoc regarding your 
> rejection earlier this year.  Even though you were told verbally you 
> wouldn't get the job because of your blindness and you have nothing in 
> writing, you still have a good case that's worthy of an investigation by 
> the EEOC.  I am employed with them and I know that the evidence that is 
> obtained in many good cases is not necessarily written.  Sometimes it's 
> who has the most believable story.  Even if the case couldn't be proven, 
> filing a charge is free and the employer should be put on alert that a 
> blind person has been wronged.  We can't let the system beat us and we 
> need to keep fighting and not let people get away with what they did.  The 
> employer has to show you wouldn't be able to perform the essential 
> functions of the job with or without accommodations just as you showed 
> them you could with accommodations.  I strongly encourage you to file just 
> to at least get your voice heard.  You have nothing to lose especially now 
> that you have a job.
>
> Charlotte Czarnecki
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mary Ann Rojek" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>
> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 7:57 PM
> Subject: Re: [humanser] JOBS
>
>
>> Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.  The job search can 
>> be a long difficult road indeed.  Having connections with someone in your 
>> field can help.  However, don't ever sell your education, knowledge, 
>> skills and abilities short.  Please keep us updated on how things are 
>> going.
>>
>> Mary Ann Rojek
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Ronit Ovadia" <rovadia82 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2009 5:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [humanser] JOBS
>>
>>
>>> Hi Mary, JD and all,
>>> Thanks for all your congratulations. Since many of you have asked, I'll
>>> summarize how my year went and how it ended with me getting a job. Be
>>> forewarned, this will be a rather long message. :)
>>>
>>> I started my job search last December and went on several interviews
>>> between January and June. Many places I never even heard back from, and
>>> a few I got rejection letters. The major place I applied to during this
>>> period was Genzyme, a company which creates genetic tests for prenatal
>>> patients but also hires genetic counselors so they can contract them out
>>> to private doctors' offices. In the Los Angeles area where I am located,
>>> they have the monopoly of jobs. Almost all hospitals and doctors'
>>> offices use Genzyme so I was really hoping I could work there. I applied
>>> in March, and got called in for two interviews in May. I didn't hear
>>> anything for a few months and then in July, I was asked to come in to
>>> visit a clinic and meet a few more counselors. I felt this interview was
>>> positive and went well. I explained how I do things as a blind person
>>> and as a blind genetic counselor and they seemed to be impressed, so I
>>> was hopeful. Then in October, I got called in to have an interview where
>>> I'd be meeting with the genetic counseling manager whom I'd already met
>>> and an HR representative. The meeting was to discuss accommodations that
>>> I would use to complete my job successfully. I didn't ask them for
>>> anything, I just explained how I do things and again, I felt it went
>>> well. I had an answer for every question they put to me and I felt like
>>> I portrayed myself in a very positive way. I didn't hear anything for
>>> another couple months and then finally, after I'd followed up with them
>>> by email several times, a phone call was scheduled with me. I was hoping
>>> this would maybe be a job offer. Instead, it was the HR representative
>>> from the east coast who I had not met and the genetic counseling manager
>>> on the phone. They told me that I was not selected for the job and the
>>> reason was because it was determined that due to my blindness and how I
>>> complete tasks as a blind person, I would not be able to keep up in a
>>> busy clinic. This, as you can imagine, was very shocking to me and I had
>>> no idea what to say or how to respond on the spot. I was not prepared
>>> for such a blunt rejection. They basically told me that this position
>>> was closed to me in the future because of the way that I do things as a
>>> blind person. It's totally illegal but unfortunately I have nothing in
>>> writing. I contacted the national office about this and was told the
>>> same thing, that since nothing is in writing, we wouldn't get very far
>>> if we tried to fight it. So I decided to not fight this battle. But it
>>> was very crushing and I got even more discouraged after this happened,
>>> which was in early December.
>>>
>>> Throughout all this time, I have been in contact with several genetic
>>> counselors who I job shadowed during college and had told them that if
>>> there was ever a job opening that they should let me know. One genetic
>>> counselor who I had been in contact with got back to me after a long
>>> while and said that there was a position open with her group and that
>>> she'd try to set up an interview for me. She did set up an interview for
>>> me and the week before Christmas, I went and met the doctor. I thought
>>> the interview had not gone so well because the doctor was concerned that
>>> I did not speak Spanish, even though she said that it seemed like I had
>>> figured things out as far as my blindness. I was so discouraged that I
>>> thought for sure this would not go anywhere. A few days later, she
>>> emailed me to offer me a private contractor job. This means that I would
>>> be paid per case that I do for her. She likes to hire her counselors
>>> this way so they don't complain about being overworked. I was willing to
>>> take anything at this point so of course I said yes. It's not the ideal
>>> position, and I still don't have many more details but hopefully I will
>>> soon. I know that I will be traveling to at least two different clinics
>>> and must carry all my computer equipment with me. This is not the ideal
>>> situation as you probably all know, since it's hard to keep a consistent
>>> setup when nothing is permanent. I hopefully will make it work though. I
>>> will also probably be needing to hire a reader, which I have never
>>> really done before on my own without the help of a disability office or
>>> dean of students office. If any of you have tips on the best ways to go
>>> about this, I'd love to hear them. The charts are not electronic,
>>> although I do think parts of them will be. I'm just planning on hiring a
>>> reader and even if I don't make a lot of money from this first job, it's
>>> experience, and that's what I really need to get my foot in the door. I
>>> will be seeing prenatal patients who are contemplating genetic testing
>>> or who have had an abnormal result on a prenatal test and I will be
>>> explaining those results and options to these patients. So it's a lot of
>>> education but also a lot of psychosocial counseling since all these
>>> patients will be quite anxious.
>>>
>>> So that's my job in a nutshell and how my year went. As I get more
>>> details, I'll be sure to update the list. I"m waiting for the doctor to
>>> get back to me as far as a start date and I'm hoping I'll have a bit of
>>> time to hire a reader before I start.
>>>
>>> The job search is not an easy road and I was strongly considering
>>> switching paths even though that's not what I wanted but I knew I had to
>>> get a job doing something and I was getting quite discouraged. I don't
>>> think I necessarily have any words of wisdom, I Think I just got lucky
>>> and the connection I had with the genetic counselor probably helped too.
>>> But it's so difficult to get in to the medical field as a blind person.
>>>
>>> Happy new year everyone!
>>> Ronit
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> JD Townsend wrote:
>>>> Hi Ronit & All:
>>>>
>>>> How exciting -- excellent news!
>>>>
>>>> Please tell us about your long job search and, especially, your 
>>>> successful conclusion.
>>>>
>>>> Inquiring counselors want to know.
>>>>
>>>> JD Townsend, LCSW
>>>> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
>>>> Helping the light dependent to see.
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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