[nfbcs] Fake Cover Letters Expose Discrimination Against Disabled

[Daryl Marie]

I see a few things at play here as well.

Like you, I have had great job experiences for the most part, where my blindness is a non-issue. Many of the processes and little techy tweaks that were brought in during my tenure proved so helpful that they have continued for sighted coworkers even after I left. But hires are done by people with their own prejudices, so getting your foot in the door is the hardest part. It's not because we can't do the job, but it's because someone THINKS we can't.

As for the disclosure issue, I have not pre-disclosed on an application in over ten years, for the simple reason that the times that I have, no one has gotten back to me. I don't want an employer to assume anything, so this gives them no opportunity to assume my capabilities until first meeting. But that's what's worked for me.

Daryl

----- Original Message -----
From: Joseph C. Lininger via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Joseph C. Lininger <devnull-nfbcs at pcdesk.net>
Sent: Thu, 10 Mar 2016 22:00:10 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Fake Cover Letters Expose Discrimination Against	Disabled

Here's something interesting to consider. I have exactly the opposite 
problem as that described here. This story may seem like bragging. I 
promise that is not my intention; I'm telling you about this to 
illustrate a point.

One of the gals I work with (used to be my supervisor before she got 
transfered) has gotten so used to me and my abilities that she simply 
can't accept that the disability could or would be a factor in a 
company's hiring dicision or in the way people behave toward me. I work 
for the Air Force, and there's a possibility I will need to find a 
different place to work within the organization. I expressed concerns 
about finding a new position, and she mentioned private sector 
employment (with much higher pay) as a possibility if, in her words, 
"the air force is too stupid to want to keep you." I mentioned to her 
the difficulties of getting hired, and her response was something like, 
"No way. You have years of experience, a computer science degree, and 
you're working on a Ph.D. I don't believe a company would turn you down 
just because of that." She is a rare exception to the general rule, and 
to be honest it's something I never knew how much I appreciated until I 
actually worked for someone like that. She even forgets the disability 
at times. Once she was talking about how i would need to travel some 
place. I asked her for more specific directions, and she was like, "Oh 
yeah, I forgot." She may have been apologetic, but I took it as a 
compliment. It meant she saw me as a whole person, not just a disability.
Joe

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