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Fight the Label Job Searching With an Invisible Disability Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 [email protected]

Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 [email protected]

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Page 1: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Fight the LabelJob Searching With an Invisible

Disability

Colleen O’Mara DelVecchioAssociate Director Alumnae Engagement413-585-2588 [email protected]

Page 2: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

when to disclose your disability to an

employer 

how to deal with accommodation needs on

the job as they arise

tips for writing your resume and cover letter

tips for successfully interviewing

how to decide if a job is the right fit for you

Agenda

Page 3: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Your stress level

Timing of disclosure

◦ Advantages

◦ Disadvantages

◦ Issues

To tell or not to tell?

Page 4: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Resume

Feels honest. Good if employer will see disability

as a positive

Disqualify yourself before employer meets

you. Does the employer need to

know?

Page 5: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Interview

Able to respond to questions.

Discrimination is less likely.

Responsibility is on you to handle any disability issues

that employer may have. How comfortable

are you discussing your disability?

Page 6: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

After you get an offer

If the disability changes the hiring decision, there is

legal recourse (ADA).

Employer may feel you should have told

them beforehand. Can you explain your disability in a way that the employer

still feels confident in the job offer?

Page 7: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Once you are working

Able to prove yourself on the job before disclosing.

Employer may feel like you falsified your application. Can be difficult to

decide who to tell and peers may feel

you were not truthful with them.

Page 8: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Never!

No one knows and no one will treat you differently because of it.

Run the risk of being let go

because of poor job performance due to

disability. Does anyone really need to know?

Page 9: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Script it out

Ask for feedback

Leave out clinical terms

Stick to the ROI of having you as an employee

Stay positive

Tips for disclosing

Page 10: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

John◦ Promoted to manager at large chain store

Mindy◦ Training & development expert – travel

Jenna◦ Senior research associate at a hospital

Shamus◦ Project manager at large accounting firm

Accommodation stories

Page 11: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

An engineer working for a large industrial company had to undergo treatment for cancer during working hours. She was provided a flexible schedule in order to attend therapy and also continue to work full-time.

A machine operator who was undergoing radiation therapy for cancer was accommodated by having his workstation moved. The move transferred the individual to an area of the plant where no radiation exposure existed.

A psychiatric nurse with cancer was experiencing difficulty dealing with job-related stress. He was accommodated with a temporary transfer and was referred to the employer's employee assistance program for emotional support and stress management tools.

A lawyer with cancer was experiencing lapses in concentration due to the medication she was taking. Her employer accommodated her by giving her uninterrupted time to work. She was also allowed to work at home two days a week.

Accommodation Examples – CancerFrom JAN www.askjan.org

Page 12: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

A new-hire telemarketer with deficits in reading comprehension had to watch a computerized training tutorial, then complete timed quizzes on the computer. To accommodate this employee, the computer screen color scheme and font was adjusted to make it easier for the individual to read the test material. The employee used a ruler held to the computer screen to "stay on the line" when reading test questions. The employee was allowed to watch the tutorial more than once and was allowed to take the quizzes un-timed.

A researcher in a technology company had expressive writing disorder. The employee's job tasks included gathering information for written reports. To accommodate this employee, Inspiration software was provided to help the employee organize, prioritize, and then outline the information for reports. The employer also provided a hard copy dictionary and thesaurus.

An employee who works in a manufacturing environment had a learning disability. The employee had difficulty remembering task sequences of the job. The supervisor provided written instructions, whereby each major task was broken down into smaller, sequential sub-parts. Each subpart was color-coded for easy reference (green means start, red means stop).

Accommodation Examples – Learning Disabilities From JAN www.askjan.org

Page 13: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Inadvertently disclosing◦ Activities◦ Clubs◦ Volunteer

Headline Summary

◦ Skills, strengths, abilities Experience

◦ Not a job description◦ Annual review

Resume

Page 14: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu
Page 15: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Values

Tasks

Stress level

Supervisor

Accommodations

Go with your gut!

Is this job right for me?

Page 16: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

How are the mission and values reflected in every day decisions?

How does the company demonstrate a sense of pride in it’s employees?

What do you think is the role of a supervisor?

Can you describe the company’s culture?

Are there ongoing educational opportunities?

What is the annual review process like?

Questions to ask on the interview

Page 17: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Job Accommodation Network ◦ http://askjan.org/◦ (800)ADA-WORK◦ (877)781-9403 (TTY)

SOAR - Searchable Online Accommodation Resource◦ http://askjan.org/soar/index.htm

Resources

Page 18: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

www.GettingHired.com

www.cosdonline.org

www.usajobs.gov

www.disabledperson.com/recruitability.asp

www.connect-ability.com/index.php

www.limeconnect.com

Resources

Page 19: Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement 413-585-2588 comara@smith.edu

Any Lingering

Questions?

[email protected]