Colleen O’Mara DelVecchio Associate Director Alumnae Engagement

 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

 Your stress level  Timing of disclosure ◦ Advantages ◦ Disadvantages ◦ Issues

Resume Feels honest. Good if employer will see disability as a positive Disqualify yourself before employer meets you. Does the employer need to know?

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?

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?

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.

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?

 Script it out  Ask for feedback  Leave out clinical terms  Stick to the ROI of having you as an employee  Stay positive

 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

 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.

 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).

 Inadvertently disclosing ◦ Activities ◦ Clubs ◦ Volunteer  Headline  Summary ◦ Skills, strengths, abilities  Experience ◦ Not a job description ◦ Annual review

 Values  Tasks  Stress level  Supervisor  Accommodations  Go with your gut!

 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?

 Job Accommodation Network ◦ ◦ (800)ADA-WORK ◦ (877) (TTY)  SOAR - Searchable Online Accommodation Resource ◦

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