[nabs-l] Job seekers- disclosing disability

[Haben Girma]

I haven't read the article, but I notice that it is based in the UK, so 
some of their suggestions might not apply to the US where the laws are 
different.

When I was job hunting last year I was in Oregon and applying for jobs 
in Alaska. Hence all my contact with employers was via email and phone. 
So there was no reason for me to disclose my disability until I got the 
job. After one place decided to hire me simply based on my resume, I 
started discussing accommodations with them. Another place required a 
phone interview through which I did not disclose my blindness, but I had 
to reveal my hearing loss since I needed them to use a transcription 
service. The employers worked for the state of Alaska and were very 
aware of the ADA and EOE regulations. They hired me.

There was also a time where for three weeks I desperately searched for a 
job, went to millions of interviews, filled out ten times as many 
applications, but wasn't getting anywhere. It was tourist season and 
there were plenty of jobs, but for one reason or another they weren't 
being given to me. Then my boyfriend's mother called up her friend who 
was director of a summer school that was hiring staff. She explained 
that I had excellent skills, was great with kids, etc. I had low vision 
and hearing, yet used lots of techniques to do things. Did the manager 
think I could do the job, my boyfriend's mother asked. I heard her 
talking on the phone, and I was mortified. My style of job hunting 
involved not revealing my disability unless I absolutely had to. After 
all, it shouldn't even factor into the hiring process, right? Well, I 
got that job at the summer school, and my boyfriend's mother showed me 
that disclosing a disability can sometimes truly have little effect on 
the hiring process, especially when social networking is involved.

Haben

Bill wrote:
> I was under the impression that employers were required to provide
> 'reasonable' accomidations.  This article seems to imply that they are not
> obligated if they did not know about your disability when they hired you.
> the law does not allow for employers to use your disibility at all in their
> selection process.  In OR i believe that employers aren't even allowed to
> ask about disabilities.  I imagine that one can extend the law to not allow
> for preference to be given to disabled applicants either since you would be
> choosing on non-relevant baseies.  Unfortunatly those of us with physical
> disabilities have less choice about disclosure then other potentionally
> disabled applicants.  Joseph has said to me that employers will be more
> likely to hire you if they can see how you would be able to forfill the
> position.  Convincing the employer of this can be hard.  It would seem that
> an interview would be a good place to discuss this, but you would much
> prefer that the interview focused on your own skills and not details that
> should not effect their desision.
> Just my two cents,
> Bill VP
> Oregon Association of Blind Students
> 503-768-8982
> cassonw at gmail.com
>
> On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 1:24 PM, Jim Reed <jim275_2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hey all,
>>
>> As the summer-job seeking season is upon us, and as the economy forces
>> others out of work, I thought the following would be useful to some of
>> you. It deals with how/when to disclose your blindness to an employer.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_jsdisc.hcsp
>>
>> I Hope some find it useful. I have an interview tomarrow with Montana Fish,
>> Wildlife, and Parks. I guess I will see how it works then.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>> "Ignorance killed the cat; curiosity was framed."
>>
>>
>>
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