[humanser] Hi all, Fwd: To disclose or not disclose on internship apps

Michael Abell bigdog4744 at gmail.com
Sat Nov 21 00:35:00 UTC 2015


Hello,
	I think that the ban the box campaign is a wonderful start for
employment of those individuals that have served their time and need
employment. The issue needs attention and it is overdue.
	I do not think that the issue has anything to do with individuals
who are blind. Unless one is blind and has been previously convicted of a
felony, the issue has no place in the changes that need to take place in the
employment arena for persons with disabilities. Blindness is not a crime!
Individuals that are blind are protected by the ADA. The choice is theirs to
either use this protection or not.
	It is difficult to change from an individual that has been provided
for to an individual that is doing the providing. Many individuals have
sacrificed their time and lives so that we can seek employment without
discrimination. We should honor their service!

Regards,

Michael "Big Dog" Abell

Helping individuals to find their eyes in the dark.
(480) 369-0805



-----Original Message-----
From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ericka via
humanser
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 3:33 PM
To: Human Services Division Mailing List
Cc: Ericka
Subject: Re: [humanser] Hi all, Fwd: To disclose or not disclose on
internship apps

Is anyone aware of the "ban the box "campaign to make it easier for
criminals who have paid their time to get jobs? My community is starting to
work towards this. I was thinking possibly if this becomes nationwide and
change his attitude towards hiring people who've been through the "system ",
it might open doors eventually for us because it changes stereotypes. What
does everyone think? 

Ericka Short
"Friends are like flowers in the garden of life"

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 20, 2015, at 12:38 PM, Michael Abell via humanser
<humanser at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
>    An internship should be treated the same as any job that you apply 
> for. An individual would not disclose their blindness on a job 
> application as this would create the opportunity for discrimination. 
> If you are seeking a position as a music therapist, then you would 
> only include highlights that inform the agency about your qualifications.
>    There is no "scarlet B" that needs to be put forth as a disclaimer 
> for applicants. The only time that you would want to disclose 
> information about a disability is when an accommodation is necessary. 
> The important element for your application is your abilities and talents.
>    It should be mentioned to screen the job requirements for the 
> position. If the job requires you need a valid driver's license, it 
> would not be a position that you should consider. If the job asks you 
> to visit multiple sites and provide your own transportation, that 
> would be one that you could consider.
>    If blindness does not define us, then it should not be any more of 
> a consideration than race, sexual orientation, or religion. Good luck 
> in your future placement. I am sure that you will be great!
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Michael "Big Dog" Abell
> 
> Helping individuals to find their eyes in the dark.
> (480) 369-0805
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: humanser [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti 
> Shelton via humanser
> Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2015 9:50 PM
> To: humanser at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Kaiti Shelton
> Subject: [humanser] Hi all, Fwd: To disclose or not disclose on 
> internship apps
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2015 01:21:24 -0500
> Subject: To disclose or not disclose on internship apps
> To: musictherapistswithvisualimpairments
> <musictherapistswithvisualimpairments at yahoogroups.com>
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I can start applying for national roster internship sites in January.
> I've already combed through the entire list and picked out the 18 that 
> sounded the most appealing to me.  I even categorized them into tiers.
> I know I can have four applications out at a time, so they're in 
> batches of four according to the level of preference I have for the sites.
> 
> My big question concerns whether or not I should disclose my blindness 
> on internship applications. I know the standard practice is to not 
> disclose information before the interview, but I'm wondering how solid 
> that advice is given the field we are in and the nature of interviews 
> now.  A lot of my older classmates participated in skype 
> interviews/auditions rather than ones on-site, which could give me a 
> disadvantage.  Sure, I could explain over skype how I do things and 
> show the internship director some of my adaptive equipment if that 
> issue arises, but it would not be as effective as doing it in person.
> They won't have an opportunity to observe me using a cane competently, 
> or see me taking notes and referencing them from my notetaker.  I'm 
> sure my professors might have some input here, but I am also sure that 
> they would encourage me to seek out other sources for this information 
> as I am their first blind student.  I don't want to be discounted 
> before I have a shot at an interview, but could being upfront avoid 
> possible pitfalls in the interview process if the internship director 
> knows a little of what to expect?  Also, if the internship directly 
> relates to my experiences should I disclose it then to show I have a 
> possible edge in making empathetic connections with clients over a 
> student music therapist who does not have prior experience with 
> blindness, assistive technology, etc?  Thanks,
> 
> --
> Kaiti Shelton
> University of Dayton-Music Therapy
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present Secretary, 
> The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division 
> 2015-2016
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Kaiti Shelton
> University of Dayton-Music Therapy
> President, Ohio Association of Blind Students 2013-Present Secretary, 
> The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division 
> 2015-2016
> 
> "You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back!"
> 
> _______________________________________________
> humanser mailing list
> humanser at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> humanser:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/bigdog4744%40gma
> il.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> humanser mailing list
> humanser at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
humanser:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/dotwriter1%40gma
> il.com

_______________________________________________
humanser mailing list
humanser at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/humanser_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
humanser:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/humanser_nfbnet.org/bigdog4744%40gmail.com





More information about the HumanSer mailing list