Job seekers with disabilities

[Guest guest]

Job seekers with disabilities wonder when to disclose them to potential

employers

Experts suggest that it's best for applicants to focus on their

qualifications and wait to bring up the topic of a disability until it

becomes relevant to the discussion.

By Kreimer

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disabled1-2010jan01,0,2130423.story

January 1, 2010

Pat Leahy's resume is sprinkled with relevant skills and achievements.

Although he doesn't note his blindness since birth, he often wonders when to

disclose it to potential employers. Should he tell them before the in-person

interview or simply walk in with his guide dog?

" I'm still finessing it and trying to figure out what works best, " said

Leahy, 35, who lives in Washington, D.C., with his yellow Labrador

retriever, Galahad. After 11 years in public policy, Leahy is seeking a

management position in the nonprofit sector or government operations.

Experts suggest that it's best to wait to bring up the topic of a disability

until it becomes relevant to the discussion -- and to be forthright about

the assets such applicants can bring to that employer.

" Keep an application positive. The best thing you can do is to get selected

on the merits of your qualifications, " said Rose, an employment

lawyer in Washington. " Once the employer determines you're qualified, it

would be unlawful for them to reject you because of your disability, unless

you're unable to do the job. "

A radiologist, for example, can't read X-rays if a visual impairment

obscures shades of gray, but perhaps the doctor could manage a medical

practice.

Many job seekers with disabilities can perform the required tasks. They

should sell themselves by anticipating interviewers' concerns and addressing

them. Employers may fear inquiring about a disability's effect on work, so

questions often remain unanswered, said Jeanne of Tallahassee,

Fla., a professor emeritus and administrator of the National Rehabilitation

Counseling Assn.

There may be no need to mention a disability unless an employment gap calls

for an explanation. Another reason to reveal a disability arises when an

applicant has to request an accommodation for the interview. For instance,

said, a candidate who is deaf or hearing-impaired may ask the

company or vocational agency to arrange for an interpreter.

An employer has to provide reasonable accommodation unless it would impose

undue hardship, usually a significant expense or difficulty, said

Banks, a disability lawyer in Washington.

At a small business without an elevator, for example, a candidate in a

wheelchair could request a meeting on the ground floor.

Job seekers may want to research employers before applying. Some large

corporations are very open to hiring people with disabilities, said

Truax, a San -based program manager for the CareerConnect and

FamilyConnect websites of the American Foundation for the Blind. The

foundation has created a series of videos showing employers how blind and

visually-impaired individuals use adaptive software at work.