In the final part of our three-part series on disabilities in the workplace, Lou Orslene of the Job Accommodation Network helps us put all the pieces together for the ultimate goal: landing a job! Ultimately, Lou encourages anyone with a disability or impairment to feel empowered when they begin their job search. The resiliency, creativity, and flexibility they use day-to-day will be a major selling point for any hiring manager!
Transcript
(upbeat music)
Even if I was a person with a disability, and I don't need an accomodation, I think I would feel empowered and would feel a lot more comfortable, if I saw that EEO statement was on the front page of the career portal. Or within, maybe, one or two or three clicks. Looking at whether their marketing, the corporation's marketing materials include people with disabilities. Another good cue, is to tell me whether that company is inclusive and whether I can bring my whole self to work and be really comfortable. And really excel in that environment. So we train a lot of recruiters, talent acquisition staff, hiring managers, and what we suggest is that they send out information in advance of the interview, to really let people know where it's going to take place. Mention accessibility, that's an accessible space. Mention that if you need an accomodation for the interview that that is available and all you need to do is talk to the recruiter about that. So, much of the obligation lies, really, in terms of the corporate representative. And if you send that letter in advance, or email in advance, then that opens up the conversation to the person with a disability. With a stigma and the discrimination that still exists in our work places, I'd be, as a person with a disability, I'd still be a little bit reluctant. Unless I saw those cues, to really come forward. If I saw those cues, then that's exactly what I would do. In terms of accommodations, disclosure, disclosing an accomodation, most people and it's most typical for you to ask for an accommodation, whenever it's needed in the process. So say for instance, let's use the example of an applicant, if I'm an applicant and I have some agility issues regarding my hands, and I'm trying to use an applicant tracking system and I find that I keep getting timed out and all the information that I've put in to the application tracking system is lost then. And I have to keep doing this, that's the time to request an accommodation. So, as soon as the challenge is posed, and you really, in order to be successful, either at the application stage or at the employment stage, then that's really when you want to come forward and request that accommodation. So, feel very empowered and go in. We all have to sell ourselves. People with disabilities or people that do not have disabilities. An interview is a sales process. Right? So you have to go in strong and look for those cues, do your research in advance and then just be prepared like everyone else is for an interview. If you are a person with a disability, then there's been a lot of obstacles in life. And you've really had to be resilient. And in many jobs, that resilience is really important to the employer. So I would, very much, if I have the opportunity talk in a positive way about my disability and about that resilience. And just any other attributes that I have picked up along the way. Whether it be, I have to be very creative and I have to be very flexible. I think those are all attributes that that employers would want to hear. That you possess. So if you could couch that in such a way that you're talking about your disability while talking about those strengths, I think that's a very positive and empowered way to approach an interview. (happy music)
Download transcript