[humanser] JOBS

Tue Jan 6 01:26:32 UTC 2009

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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