Category: Jobs and Employment
While browsing the internet, I came across this article, found at
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=7&TopicID=209&SubTopicID=61&DocumentID=2184
I am wondering what your thoughts on this particular question may be. For those who did not read the link, it basically addressed the issue of whether or not one should disclose one's disability during the pre-interview stage of searching for a job.
Should your prospective employer know that you are blind/death/in a wheelchair? Or, should you in a sense spring it on them, when you arrive for the interview. Your added comments, or suggestions would be much appreciated.
YBF
This is something I have gone back and forth on with my thinking. I used to have good usable vision and never disclosed the information over the phone or on the application or resume. And, it wasn't obvious to the interviewer when I walked into the interview, so I could pick the point in the interview when I felt it was a good time to tell them. Now I am totally blind and would not be able to keep it a secret upon walking into the interview. But I still am not sure disclosing it in the resume or application is a good idea. Discrimination is against the law, but that doesn't stop it from happening, and I think there would be more of a chance of someone just tossing the resume/application without even calling you for an interview if they knew you were blind. At least that's my thinking this week...ask me again next week. LOL
Hmmmmm.
I agree with Becky here..I mean, even though discrimination is against the law, that doesn't really mean they wouldn't do it, so my idea would be that it's probably better to do it at the interview. I really don't think it would look good on the application, only because there's a certain format that it would be in, also a lot of employers these days simply scan through them, so the message won't always come across clearly. At least those are my thoughts.
I think there's a thread already started about this somewhere, but I'm feeling lazy, and not going to look it up right now. i'm just going to post here.
I used to disclose my blindness, because I felt I was being dishonest if I didn't. However, I very quickly figured out that when I did that, I almost never got an actual interview. The employer usually dodged me by never returning follow-up calls, etc. Becky is right, discrimination maybe illegal, but it still happens all over the place. Employers are just a lot smarter about it now.
These days, I do not say a word about my blindness, unless I am applying to a blindness specific job, like with an agency for the blind, or with a BEP operator, etc. In those cases, disclosing can be an advantage, when they are actually looking to hire blind people. But with that exception made, most interveiwers take it in stride, and I try to be as open with them about it as I can be once I'm there. I've ever only had one interviewer voice displeasure at my not telling her, and I explained why I did not, and apologized. She seemed to understand once I explained it, but I still did not get the job. Not sure that I would have anyway though, in retrospect. Just my thoughts.
Thank you all for your responses. Since I posed this question, I have found any number of sites that cover this topic, and still there is no real clear answer, I suppose as most articles show, in the end it is a judgment call to be made by an individual
My thinking is however, if I am applying for a job, my vission, or lack thereof was considered prior to my applying, and so has nothing to do with the information presented on my resume. For instance, I am not going to send an application to a company for a position that is going to involve a lot of driving, land surveying, etc etc.
My two cents
YBF
If the form asks if I'm disabled I'll answer honestly. I wouldn't add it to the form if there were no disability-related questions. The employer will find out eventually anyway. There's no point in deceiving people who you want to employ you. They'll either think you're dishonest, or that they have to be extra careful or sensitive about your disability.
This question always comes up and yes, there is no definitive answer.
I would ask what reason do you have or do not have for disclosing? This might be a more effective question. I certainly would not disclose anything on a job application or resume. I disclose after landing the interview.
Usually one receives a call to set up that interview, and after I’ve gotten the time, place, person and all other information, I disclose that I will be there a couple of minutes early, as I am VI/Blind/Partial, whatever I feel like being that day, and I will like someone to assist filling any necessary paperwork.
One should not feel pressured into disclosing, or feel guilty about not doing so. However, Understand that many initial interviewers are not experts in the position being applied for, so they for example might not know that you might be completely comfortable making PowerPoint presentation, as that may be one of your regular duties, s and if you are unclear with them about your abilities and strengths, they will very likely not pass on your resume to the person who is an expert and who may be completely comfortable hiring you.
I once heard of a person not disclosing her blindness until the interview. Then at a good point in the interview, she said something like," I would imagine that you aren't exposed to blindness very often. I'd like to answer any questions as to how I will do the job that I am applying for."
This lets them know that you are possibly aware of any inquiries on their part and opens the door for them to let you show them that you have skills.
Thom
Yes, once I am at an interview, I am very open about my blindness, and encourage the interviewer to ask questions they may have about how I would perform the various duties of the job. In that regard, the ADA kind of hinders us, because if I am not mistaken, employers can technically get in trouble for asking questions like that, so of course they get uncomfortable. That is why I attempt to make employers very aware that they can ask me questions about my blindness, my technology, etc, without fear of reprisal.
If the question is asked on an application form (and it often is), then I answer honestly.
But if they don't ask then I don't feel the need to make them aware. My VI is not relevant in terms of my ability to do a job, and I prefer to walk into an interview on an equal footing with other candidates, rather than having to consider the pre-conceived ideas people may already have about me.
I did mention the fact that i am blind when I wrote a letter to apply for a job that a companyy were advertizing here in the UK, but then that was a visually impaired related company. If it wasn't a visually impaired related company, I probably wouldn't bother because as the previous person said, it puts me at the same level as everyone else. Saying that though, I was told a while ago that if you do mention your visual impairment on an application, some employers are more likely to give you an interview. What do people think to that?
Harmony, more often than not, I hear of people saying that disclosing their disability caused them an interview. Their employer would call them, hem and haw, and in the end, they are told (albeit diplomatically) that they needn't come in, or that the position previously advertised has all-the-sudden been fille. I suppose I can see it from the employers point of view. Oh no, a blind person wants to work here. What do I do, bend and make concessions, or go with the 50 other applications from well-able-bodied applicants.
My two cents.
YBF
My voluntary sector organisation asks new members and if they have a disability and/or medical condition. We are a user-led organisation so all our members will be visually impaired.
However, we have volunteers who aren't visually impaired. We still ask them if they have any other disabilities and medical conditions. This is so we can make any necessary adjustments and have some idea what to expect. It also enables us to compile statistical data for any equal opportunities advocates who want to know how many people we recruit are disabled or have a medical condition.
We don't recruit or reject people based on whether they have or don't have a disability. We recruit people based on their ability to do essential tasks in the role description, their ability to learn, their attitude and their performance at interview. Attitudes are usually good, because the people we recruit aren't being paid. They're getting involved because they want to help.
I don't contemplate the perceptions other people may have of blind people and their ability to do what is in a role description when applying for anything. I can't be bothered. I am going for the job and I will either get it or be rejected. I am not ashamed of my blindness, nor am I proud of it. I'm not bothered about it. I know and accept that I can't do everything that sighted people do.
If I'm competing against sighted people, I'll focus on what I can do instead of comparing myself with people I've never met. I don't think of people as being blind or sighted. I think of them as being people. I don't know whether other applicants who are completing their forms are sighted or blind, whether they have physical or mental health conditions etc. They don't know I'm blind. Too many people spend too much time wondering what people they've never met and may never meet think of them. The answer is probably nothing. they haven't thought about you as much as you've thought about them.
if you working in the disability sector, there's no reason why not, but if you are talking about employmentship in a wider world, it is encourage by lots of research that best not to include your disability or age, genda, ethnicity, and marriage status in your resume.
according to equal employment opportunity, this is to discourage any form of discrumination before meeting the person itself, and provide equal opportunity for every person, regardless of who they are.
Joanne, whenever I've gotten one of those surveys, there has always been the option not to answer. The only thing I'll answer is my gender, and sometimes, my race.
It's not my job as the applicant to ensure that the employer provides equal opportunities. I'm just trying to get the job. If I answer the questions and based on my answer to the questions relating to disabilities I am rejected, it's not my fault, it's the fault of the employer. I'm not going to get myself down about a decision that I didn't make and that isn't my fault.
As for my CV, it'll only include information that is relevant to the job for which I'm applying, and information I believe will strengthen my application.
professir senior, it is not an applicant job to making sure that the pertential employer promotes equal opportunity is right, but then, it is not our job to creates the pertential biased that we might discriminate against either. make sense?
post15, if it comes to job application form, i usually will give as much information as i can, but, yet, depends on what sort of job i'm applying too. as far as genda goes, when someone reading the name they will know what genda most time anyway. that didn't tell much. i guess, disability and marriage status is the trickier one to go along. some that have stated that they promotes EEO (equal employment opportunity) employment, i will usually tell them that i have a disability. as far as resume goes, it is much depends again, on what sort of job you apply to. they would eventually found it out under working experience anyway, if you work closely within the disability field.
I can understand the employer's point of view where they might think "oh no, we've got a blind person here what do we do", where they may also have a load of other applications from fully sighted people, but in that case if the chance comes up you could try mentioning the access to work scheme if you are in the UK. I can't remember exactly what that is, but I do know it applies to all people with "disabilites" here. Mind you, I was told about it like 3 or 4 years ago.
I wouldn't mention it at interview stage. They can only help you once you've got the job anyway, and I'd want to organise any service I get from Access to Work directly with them. I'd only want my employer to get involved if it was absolutely necessary.
I would rather not depend on Access to Work for equipment. I don't want to wait for one of their assessments to be completed. If I get a job, I expect to be able to start as quickly as a sighted person would be able to start.
Unfortunately for some people, they don't have the money to be able to afford their own equipment.
Season said:
I heartedly agree with you Senior. The Access equivalent in my part of Texas is called the Lighthouse. I personally am at my witsend with these people. If I counted on them for anything, I'd most likely have another year of sitting on my bum, going stir crazy. I have no idea why every little thing, has to be assessed, and why they take forever to administer said assessments. However, that is a rant for another board.
I am thankful that I have the necessary softwar ready to hand, so I can start the job on the designated day.
I work in the Humann Services field. I got my degree based upon the assumption that I'd have relatively little to no difficulty with the whole blindness issue. If asked on the application, I would answer honestly. yes, one could face discrimination, but an emplouyer might not apreciate the fact that an applicant has not been honest in an application. It may be a good idea to mention it in a cover letter, along with any technology that might help one do the job. Personally, I'd rather be honest and miss an interview than totally surprise an employer. A lot of correspondence goes on between applicants and hiring personel via email. I think this is a totally apropriate way to discuss the subject. Whenever I do that, I always keep the door open for questions and concerns. I have my own laptop, so my employer didn't really have to buy much for me in the way of accomodation except a scanner which I already had the Kurzweil software for. Also, I would not mention being blind in a resume. That's just a summary of your skills and work history.
I certainly don't appreciate it if my recruits or people who refer them to me don't tell me everything I need to know about them. Sometimes it can be weeks before I know and only can I address anything I may need to address.
How can people be expected to take things into account if they are not told about them? Taking something into account doesn't necessarily mean discriminating. In the case of visually impaired people, it may mean giving them help finding their way around the building so they will know where they need to go when they start work.
If you have a disability or condition that is going to have an impact on your work, or require you to need assistance, you should tell your employer even if you're not asked.
Hi, I see two different things being said here. We're talking about when and whether to disclose disabilities to an employer. Personally, I found it nearly impossible to even land an initial interview if I disclosed my blindness beforehand. Now, I just walk in with my dog, and though I thought I would feel apologetic about it, I have shifted to being amused as I watch the reactions or lack thereof.
Even when I feel like I have conducted myself well in an interview, I am still having no luck being hired. For me, my blindness is just one part of me, and I feel that my skills and experience should overshadow that. I've definitely gotten the calls about positions suddenly not existing or being filled though, and of course, there's almost no way to prove discrimination.
For me, I walk a fine line with disclosure. My resume refers to working with/mentoring BI students as they learn to use technology, and I list running workshops for elementary age children about disabilities and service animals. What I have found is that employers and recruiters don't often read resumes thoroughly until you're sitting in front of them. They scan for the basic education and credentials, but I'm sure they have the aha moment once my guide and I walk in. I do always ask if the job requires me to have a driver's license because I don't drive. In the social work field, I am now learning just how many available jobs require home visits and/or transporting clients to various appointments. I always secretly wonder if they have a lightbulb moment about my inability to drive and that past conversation once I walk in.
I don't know how much credibility I have since I am still unemployed. My personal preference, though, is to wait to disclose. Once I'm there, I can talk about obstacles that I've overcome, like lack of access to client charts for a month and just jumping into and being successful at therapy even without paperwork. I generally bring my laptop and Braille Note so that I can at least say oh, by the way, I have my own equipment. Beyond that, I tell them about our Voc. Rehab office and explain that they will help to pay for and set up any kind of software tweaks that I might need. One of these days, my personality and experience will be enough! Good luck, everyone.
Same here on the job hunt...Even churches find out of the blue that a particular position has been filled...But, the facts of life and I'm still trying and looking for alternatives...
it is often the case they'll tell a disabled person the job has been filled, then give it to another able bodied, or less disabled person. that's common too.
Hello, I'll add my two cents' worth even though I am fortunate enough to be employed. Any of us that are blind have certainly faced what you all describe, and I've never been in a place where I've seen it discussed like on here.
Here are my thoughts:
On disclosure, I would say you have no need to disclose, provided you will not be expecting an accomodation from them. So if you work remotely, your employer need not know unless you are going to ask them for things. Like some on here have said, I want to start working as a sighted person does, but am fortunate to own my own screen reader and Braille display at present. Also working in a technical field does help I think, as I understand what it's going to take to integrate x into y, and although for us we must use adaptive product, it's really just software and hardware to be installed upon and integrated into existing systems. I imagine it would be harder for a nontechnical profession.
As to bringing it up yourself if you are in a person-to-person interview, definitely put them in the game by telling them you would appreciate it if they ask any questions they might have about how you do any of the duties on the job. You want it to be clear to the most pigeon-brained HR type that the ADA ban on questions no longer applies to them because you basically volunteer any and all information they need.
And do what we parents do with our kids: "Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen," when they haven't yet. Thank them for making a totally informed and intelligent decision, in short expect the best of them. As to discrimination: Remember when you were a kid and someone cracked a dirty joke in class, the teacher would haul them up and make them 'share it with the class?' Well, a human resource person may want to exercise such prerogative by discrimination against you by telling you the job's been filled immediately after finding you were blind. Great: Tweet it! I don't mean with an axe to grind, but consider the elections of 2008, where any voter problems were tweeted by voters. You should have seen CNN! Beyond the narrative was a steady stream of tweets, both good and bad.
So if they're juvenile enough to pull this discriminating tomfoolery, juveniles they shall be, in front of the class. Tweet time.
Imagine if the incident with Rosa Parks had been tweeted, and everyone in the nation (rather, the world) had the opportunity of seeing what was happening while it was happening.
A word of caution: If you want to be taken seriously while helping them in their croudsourcing effort, make sure your tweets are factual, and don't come off as an axe to grind. What I would do is first start following job placement organizations, see what you can do to get them to follow you (don't retweet lame stuff about raise awareness this, I'm washing my hair or have a headache that), and then tweet before you go, what you've done to prepare, build the momentum as it were, and go to your interview and tweet the results good or bad.
Frankly although I'm not among the rank and file of the unemployed right now, but I am amongst the masses of working stiffs / consumers. If I have the choice when ordering online between a company that has turned you down at the door because you're blind, and one who has not, the one pulling the childish wankery isn't getting my business. I'm not an activist, but people who do this are generally sloppy, shoddy, incredibly monocultural / narrow and most importanly, they have lots and lots of competition. People tweet about all sorts of data: broken devices, manufacturers who have unbelievably quick turn-around times, deals they find. You're serving the consumer if you do this right. What gets lost in the advocacy part is the real level of irresponsibility and lack of problem solving skills on the part of an interviewer who makes a snap decision about a person like that. I mean you want someone who turns a blind person down at the door making a decision about your warranty? your battery? Or the insurance coverage for your kid? I don't think so. And if she acts like a deer in headlights around you as a blind interviewee, how's she going to act if I come in as a consumer with a foreign exchange student? That's definitely not a risk I'm willing to take.
If I as a consumer find out before I make a purchase from this person, I can avoid a potential disaster. Nope, alleged discomfort with blindness is just a front. We're all uncomfortable with things on the job. I don't particularly like meetings, explaining things to marketing people, walking someone who should know how through an interface for the fifteenth time, but tough: that's work.
Consider the exemplary behavior of the business sector in New York after 9/11, the part that didn't make it on the news. People had to behave civilly and cordially (and conduct business) with Arabs of many descents right after the towers exploded, and many of these people did it just fine blocks away from the smoldering wreckage. Sorry interviewer kiddos, those folks in New York didn't become like deer in headlights around anyone with an Arabic accent or a name like Mohammed. Nope, the banks and oil refineries still ran, which means in New York the nervous center of financial ecology was still ticking. After I watched people in New York do that, I lost every last vestige of sympathy for anyone who excused poor judgment or bad behavior because they "just didn't know how to act around blind people." That doesn't mean I'm bitter, it means I got me an education. I used to think maybe some people were incapable of doing any better than that. Like how some treat the retarded, many make excuses for these folks and their behavior.
But after watching how some people commendably handled themselves around people who looked like the terrorists in 9/11, I lost all vestiges of sympathy whatsoever for someone acting like a deer in headlights around someone that's blind.
And whatever job someone does today, problem solving skills are a priority, not just at the nerd farms known as sofware / hardware firms. As a consumer I frankly don't want to bother with a company whose people act like a deer in headlights around someone that's blind, black, a woman, gay, whatever. After all, what if they're asked to solve a problem with me, a consumer, that they "haven't seen before?" Are we having deer in headlights again? Are they going to start saying they haven't dealt with a ... person right in front of a foreign exchange student my daughter has brought home?
Just remember when you do send a tweet, make it short and to the point no apologies but long on names / who you spoke with and the like. Keeping it factual keeps the axe grinding potential down, but if they're proud to do it, perhaps they're proud to stand up and tell us all about it. I put forth that consumers in an ever-globalizing marketplace where problem-solving skills are a must, will benefit from having access to this information. Not only about us, but blacks women any other groups, not so much from an affirmative action approach. They know how to fight that. But from a globalization approach: having this sort of narrow deer-in-headlights mindset is tantamount to dirty clothes on the customer service job, but far far worse in potential disastrous consequences for consumers.
A couple final thoughts on this topic:
Among military injuries, vision loss / blindness is near the top. An employer who doesn't make an issue out of someone's vision loss directly or indirectly supports our military personnel, as any one of them could fall afoul of this.
On Twitter: You can set up your Twitter so that you can tweet via SMS (text message). Just make sure you're croudsourcing data and not your opinion: e.g. croudsource what happened and the name / rank of who said what.
I've seen croudsourcing succeed and fail in other cases and often failures are because someone has an axe to grind.
Success doesn't usually mean an entity or person is slammed, it means corrective action.
Just my thoughts.
like others have said, I won't disclose my blindness unless I'm applying for a job spicifically related to it. any other time, I'll let the person interviewing me know that they're free to ask any questions they may have, by saying something similar to what Thom talked about in his post.
Indeed, if I went around saying I'm blind...well that turns people off.
Hmm, even Job Placement places (I'm not talking about Services for the Blind) can get stupid...*sigh* Sorry, tough subject since I'm experiencing it at the moment, but I had a job placement organization (one Nation wide) tell me "We'll call you when we have something that we feel you'd be safe in doing..." I tried all your suggestions...Open about technology and my abilities; encouraging the individuals involved to ask questions (and even contact my Services for the Blind case worker)...Didn't matter.
This only applys to technology jobs but what I do is mention that I'm proficient with assistive technology and accessibility on my resume along with stuff like the programming languages I know. I don't draw undue attention to it but someone should be able to figure out there's a good chance I'm blind based on that.
To Indigo Jess, sorry, I accidentally pushed ignore, please don't take it personally, I'll try to unignore you. Referring to your post, I can absolutely relate to the Social Work and transportation issue. I had no idea until I started working at my current job how many social work positions require you to make home visits. This is not only impractical from a transportation standpoint, but could potentially be a liability. What if you're going into a home with a meth user, could you see a syringe on the coffee table, that mom or dad is tweaking, that the kiddo hasn't been properly taken care of in the way of dress or nutrition? I've accompanied our advocates on home visits, and while I will always be greatful for the experience, I can totally understand why a blind person would be much better off in an office setting. This concern has bothered me to the point that I'm considering counseling rather than social work in grad school. If an employer could make exceptions to the home visit rule, that would be one thing. , but there are just so many positions where transportation is absolutely crucial for doing the job. Let me say that the meth user scenario was just one example of what dangers a blind person could face while on a home visit. One's safety should always be a concern, and could be compromised, especially for a blind person. That's not discrimination to say that, it's just reality. Anyone private message me if you want to discuss the topic further, as I have a lot of insight on the subject.
To BLW1978, I think you're being both smart and cautious. However, and I'm speaking as a social services ignoramous here, is there no way you could simply swap duties with someone, they go play cop or whatever doing visitation, while you do the office visits?
Here's an analogy from my own experience: It used to be some enterprise customers faxed device maps, memory maps, what were called MSD reports and other diagram data us nerds understand but getting a non-nerd sighted person to read it was sometimes perilous. I knew what to ask from where, meaning I need the data from the third column labeled Resources, or ask about the shape of the bar produced by some of the old postscript graphs, which tells you what's going on on machines. My main disadvantage is that a lot of non-nerds basically don't know even how to look at a graph or a set of tables like that, so asking a sighted reader to do it is really a bit much.
So what I did is two things: Either have an intern puppy do it, where s/he was learning diagnostic skills anyway, or more often when no pup was available, swap tasks: You handle this guy's MSD report and I'll research this admin kit issue for you.
Obviously these things can complicate but wonder if any of this has carry-over into your field. I don't know the culture either, some groups are probably more given to that than others. I got lucky I guess because in the early to mid 1990s nerd farms were pretty replete with informalities that left more traditional types flustered.
Anyway I sure hope there's a way for you to have a go / take a crack at it.
Hi, realistically, it should be easy to let a coworker play cop while I hold down the fort at the office. Right now, our Business Outreach Director is hoping to work with employers on just such a position. But, I know the caseloads for most nonprofits, and their staggering in a lot of cases. When they do their hiring, they really are looking for an employee with both reliable transport, and sight to observe potentially volatile situations. While office visits are great, and I am more than capable of doing them (I have on a few ocasions), it's not the same as observing clients in their homes. Having said that, I'm pretty optimistic that there's the right position out there. As of now, I have a job, and have done everything in my power to secure a decent job in the future. I think the home visit issue wouldn't have even been a concern of mine, had I not experienced them firsthand. If possible, I'd like an office setting, as I know how frustrating it is for our housing advocates when they show up for repeated home visits and the clients aren't home, or can't keep the appointment. At least in an office, you could stay occupied, without wasting gas and time.
Well I sure hope you can make a go of it. Sounds like you're doing great. I can appreciate people who have the patience / fortitude for stuff like that, as my wife is involved with stuff like that. I guess they're right when they say you either do things or people. I think you all have it tougher. I mean, I totally get customers' complaints, but I'm most likely to say, "Give me a pipe wrench, virtual or otherwise, ... and kindly scoot over." Just sayin' I wouldn't have known but you all got it tough.
I honestly never disclose my disability on my resume but have jaws and all on my specific skills. So that being said, if they want to know what that is and google it they will soon find out.
I like that method. :) I think I'm going to update my resume. Thanks.
Jared, I do exactly what you're talking about. I have listed that I have helped to mentor students with accessible technology, but generally, the HR people would never think to wonder what that is. They skim for certain things, but I've found that people just glaze over what they don't know.
Yes, BNL, that's exactly the sort of issue I'm talking about with home visits. I honestly wish I had the chance to experience them, but short of going out as a team, it's just not happening. Especially here in Baltimore, most home visits involve drugs or other volatile situations. Not only am I unable to establish my own safety and give a written report of my surroundings, but I feel like so many people, especially in certain pockets of the city, are big in dog fighting/training. There are way too many large dogs trained to attack and fight, so what is unsafe for me is doubly unsafe for me with a guide dog at my side.
Someone mentioned interns, and that's a nice idea, in theory. I remember learning in our practice classes that nobody should do home visits alone, that interns should not be required to use their own vehicles, and that under no circumstances should they be sent into homes individually. Within the first week of our field experience, I realized that interns were given little protection. Simply asking about security in the drug/mental health treatment facility where I worked got me brushed off. Nevermind that there were rumors of guns in the group rooms: my supervisor never mentioned these rumors, and when I asked to talk about strategies to remain safe, she whined that there hadn't been any sort of security when she spent her first few years of work there. I am good at de-escalating crisis, but please, don't cry to me how bad you've had it when our security consisted of former clients who wore badges and tried to drag people bodily over to the stabilization unit. Nobody was searched, and though bags eventually were banned, there's something about winter and heavy coats that seems to suggest sneaking in weapons with relative ease. I got off on a tangent there, but I have figured out that people either don't give much in the way of covering their lowly social work staff, or they tackle it as though it's a joke to ask about in the first place.
Just so it doesn't look completely bleak, I did have a great supervisor during my first placement. We worked with women in prostitution in very high pimp/drug/gang territory, so she made sure we never walked to our vehicles alone, and once, when I just mentioned brushing off a creepy drunk man at 8:30 AM, she got really angry, called the police and had them ask if I wanted to press charges. Overkill, but at least she cared about our safety. Naturally, nothing more than loud threats and being hit on by really dillusional schizophrenic women happened until the last day. I was treking down the street toward my friend's car with my dog. She very calmly told me to turn around. I did, and she told me to walk back toward the building. It turned out that the cops were chasing some guy down the street, and she saw several guns. Of course that would happen as I left for the very last time.
I guess the point is that we never really have quite as much of a sense of safety or security, but there are certain situations, if not given backup, that I just won't risk. Social workers are sort of expected to do it all. Run individual and group therapy, assess clients, maintain tons of paperwork, do home visits, sometimes track down or transport clients to everything from therapy to medical appointments, and it's just ridiculous. Nonprofits, though often well meaning, end up having a chaotic, ever changing structure with little in the way of definitive job descriptions. I could be pretty good for a company if they'd get over the blind phobia, but I have no illusions about it being easy.
Yeah, me neither, that's why I'm considering changing grad school programs. The social work market is kinda crappy to begin with, and even more so for blind people. I've experienced that my supervisor in my job now is a lot of talk and not a lot of action with regards to the blind issue. I can understand phobias, what I can't understand is the lack of willingness on the part of some employers to overcome them. Luckily, I have some human service work on my resume, and I think that will help me a lot. You're though, social workers are sometimes made to juggle everything, and I gotta say that this sounds pretty overwhelming. I was lucky enough to be able to conduct some interviews on the home visits I did go on, but the situations you described above sound kinda scary!! If I knew I could find a social work position in a strictly office setting, I'd go for it, as I like the field, but I've just not heard of any!! As far as interns not going out alone, I've heard of that too, but I'm gonna assume that most interns are sighted, and therefore wouldn't have problems with transportation if offered a permant position. And another thing, I hate it when people assume just cause I'm blind that that's the population I want to work with. Not necessarily. In fact, that's precisely the population I don't want to work with. Nothing against blind people, obviously, I am one, it just just seems too familiar!!
i'm glad BLW1978 brought up the whole praticality side of jobs that suitable for the blind and jobs that aint necesary blind prove.
i do understand we are living in a society where discrumination against disability is definitely no no in a job prospective, however, they are simply jobs that a blind person find it hard and challenging to do, specially in a community setting, such as visiting client's home, etc. those jobs in general is quite a number of high risk involve in terms of occupational health and safety prospective, and definitely too risky for a blind person to work in such environment.
by saying so, i'm not suggesting that blind person might not good to be a social worker, or in a community services field, infact, from personal experience, i do think we can do well in such field. however, be more aware on what you choose, and how you gonna make sure that what you choose is achievable, instead of is perhaps an empty day dreamming target.
also, i don't think it is necesary to mention what kind of services a blind organization can offer to assist you, or the company unless is necesary or is revelent. in this way, you are not creating an expression to your pertential employer that you needing extra support from other sources. not many employer will be happy with having another service provider to step in to their company. and to be honest, from a employer prospective, why one will employ someone who needing extra support from other organization, but not one who no need to have any support at all? just some keypoints to remember during job hunting process. we need to win the world, overcome all the problems, and letting the pertential knows, we are the best choice, we can be the same quality as any sighted employee, if not better.
Sdo you people feel that putting such technology as jaws on your resume is important?
i won't put using screen reader and thins like that in a resume/cv. by telling them i have computer skills such as IE8 outlook and MS2007, and things like that is well enough to know that i'm literate in terms of computer goes.
if revelent, or if the have doubt during the interview, the screen reader part will come to view, but i wown't necesarry put it out there.
the purpose for resume/cv/job application is to get the employer to choose who is the best by giving revelant information as to the job, not what i like to do in my spare time, or what i like to whare to bed or things like that
Hi, I wouldn't necessarily put Jaws skills on a resume, but possibly mention them in a cover letter, but only in reference to why you are suitable for a particular position. As far as getting third parties such as a vocational agency involved, I would only do this if necessary, and honestly, sighted people use these agencies, so what's the difference. Sorry, but if a voc rehab agency or any other agency can help in the job process, then use them, it's not a failure, on an applicant's part, it's just using all the available resources. It would be nice to say that most employers would look at a blind applicant as being on equal footing as a sighted one, but personally, this hasn't been my experience. Not saying this doesn't happen though.
Strictly my opinion and not based on research, but maybe on my own personal experiences: I would not list not only an aspect of my life like blindness, but based on my own personal mistakes I would not list any medical problems when strictly applying for a job. They can no longer legally ask you questions like, "Do you have any of the following problems?" with a checklist of problems, or "Are you taking any medications?" like they once could. I suspect I shot myself in the foot with honest disclosure.
I would wait until I at least got an interview before I said anything about any physical limitations, and even then wait until I got the job. The only question that can be asked when you apply is something to the tune of "Do you have any physical limitations in performing the duties of this position? If so how can you be accommodated?". I myself wear a MedicAlert bracelet for asthma, but if I had to interview for a new job would probably conceal it under long sleeves or even put it in my purse until after the interview. Let 'em hire me before they have to know about any limitations I have. Just my .02.
I tend to agree with that assessment. the old expression "put your best foot forward" is one I use.
Agreed, on putting your best foot forward, but may I say family social services is not the only employment for social workers. My Mom is a social worker, she could not stomach CPS; (or what ever they're called in your area), so, she works with the mentally and physically handicapped sector...All kinds, not necessarily blind, as a matter of fact I don't think she has ever worked with the blind; (well accept for me of course). Public social services is not the only option. There are other places that hire social workers...private resources for the handicapped; (Comprehend and Pathways are the two in my area), youth programs, women's crisis centers; (usually women are preferred for obvious reasons), hospitals; (a variety of necessities including financial support, adjustment, etc), and the list goes on. The job would be figuring out which would necessitate travel, how much travel, ETC. If social work is what you want to do...Don't give up, but instead look at your options and then decide.
I wasn't implying in my posts that the only type of Social Work is with governmental agencies. Social work, like you said is very diverse. But even in the nongovernmental agencies I've researched, a lot of travel is necessary if not for home visits, then other duties such as organizing food for classes, distributing brochures for upcoming events, transporting clients ETc. This has been my experience thusfar. I'm not ruling out social work, just wanting to be realistic. Does anyone know of any blind social workers who are currently employed right now? If so, I wouldn't mind chatting with them about their professional experiences.
No no, I wasn't saying you were; or that anyone was. I was just pointing that small fact out. I know most social work jobs require a lot of travel. :) As I said, my Mom is a socialworker. However, I don't know anyone blind who does it; wish I did. But, I do believe there are some posisions that don't require that much travel, or at least maybe it's just that I would hope there are? :)
I hope you're right.
Hmm, call handicapped facilities, hospitals, youth programs, schools, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, women crisis centers and/or community action programs. Find out if they have a socialworker and who they are and ask for an interview time...Even if on the phone. Then explain your situation; (not necessarily that your blind, but simply a student of socialwork...), and explain that you have a few questions for them if they have the time. Be sure to talk with someone at your school about your plan so that the individual who agrees to an interview may call them to varify your area of study; (don't forget releases of information if your professor, advisor, etc deams that necessary). Have your questions prepared before time and interview away. :) A few questions I can think of; (I'm sure you can think of more and better) are: how much time do you spend in traveling for your employer; (to and from client homes, transporting clients for medical reasons, etc)? Approximately what percentage of your work is done on the computer and/or in old fassion paper; (make it clear you don't want particulars on this just averages, confidentiality...)? Approximately how many workshops, training sessions away from home, etc are you required to participate in a year? How often do you feel that a situation your in could be dangerous; (again no particulars)? How often are you required to attend meetings that do not occur in the office; (meetings are different from workshops as they wouldn't require travel as far away)? HTH!
Yeah, a good idea, I'm not in grad school yet, but definitely a good idea.
I do not feel this is something that you would have to wait until your in grad school for. IMO, the sooner you get the information, the sooner you can make an informed decision.
I'm still mulling over Social Work as a career. I may pursue counseling as well.
well then, at least you know what options are out there.