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This is my very first post, so welcome everyone! Your reply's are very much appreciated, because I'm not sure whether or not to disclose.
Before I go, I'm so glad to be a part of this GettingHired BETA! I can't wait for jobs to come in my area, but in the meanwhile, there are so many cool career tools that I'm finding here and would like better understand how to use them first, so BETA is just my speed right now :-)
I hope there will soon be jobs in my area. Well, back to editing my profile....
I don't know if I am replying to the right message, but in reference to the question on disclosing your disability prior to or during an interview is entirely up to the individual. I would suggest disclosing one's disability prior to the interview only if he/she would need accommodations (ie. sign language interpreter). If no accommodations are needed to successfully complete the interview, I see no reason to disclose your disability.
On the other hand, some disabilities are impossible to "hide", such as someone who utilizes a wheelchair. Even so, an employer does not have a legal right to discuss your disability during the interview unless the individual chooses to talk about it. However, an employer can ask "can you complete the essential functions of the job?", but they cannot ask "how will your disability interfere with you ability to perform the essential functions of the job?". Do you see the difference?
It is extremely important that when one is in an interview that he/she focuses on what they can do, not what they can't do.
Anyway, I am very excited about this web site, and I think it will be an excellent resource for job seekers with disabilities. Happy job hunting!
Take Care,
Marcie
I'd be upfront about your needing to use a wheelchair. Using a wheelchair will have a very significant impact on you as you work. You deserve an employer who will provide accommodations for you. I may try self-employment, but if I decide to work for somebody else, I'll stress that I need to be treated well. If I must face barriers, then I cannot be a good employee.Jagella
You do not need to request for accommodations until a job has been offered. In other words, you can be hired on Friday, and request for an accommodation on Monday. Some may think that is being tricky, and on some levels I guess it is, but if you give the interviewer a list of all the accommodations you may need, especially if they are expensive accommodations, you are giving him/her a reason not to hire you, which you do not want to do.
On the other hand, if you have a apparent disability, such as deafness, and the employer asks you if you can complete a essential function a job, such as answering a telephone, you may say yes with a appropriate accommodation, such as a TTY. An employer cannot discriminate against people with disabilities who can complete the essential functions of jthe ob, with or without reasonable accommodations. However, just because it is law, it does not mean it doesn't happen, but this is the challenge us people with disabilities face everyday.
Frankly, if an employer balks at accommodations, then I'd rather look elsewhere for work. Every employee needs accommodations. It's just that some accommodations are not seen as socially acceptable. And that's the heart of the matter right there: “Disability” is not medical or physical; it's social. Disability is our society's practice of dealing with people who are seen to be deficient in some way. Personally, I try to not participate in this social practice. I don't seriously refer to myself as “handicapped, “disabled,” or “person with a disability.” I'm a person with ability, not disability, and I'm every bit as worthwhile as anybody else. Sure, I use a wheelchair, but that doesn't make me any less human than others. Employers need to understand this social problem and take steps to stop it. Only then will our society be truly free!Jagella
I couldn't have said that better myself. I work with several people who utilize wheel chairs, and they are some of the smartest, most capable people I know. I would want them on my team any day.