Customized employment and disclosure.Parts 2

  

  

 
Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job

by Inge, K. & Targett, P.

 

2. Question : Can disclosure help overcame an employe's comcerns of hiring person with a disability

Answer: Although everyone has some limitations,people with visible disabilities often are viewed as in-capable of working. This unfortunate conclusion un-derscores the importance of changing attitudes to rec-ognize that people with disabilities have a vast pool ofvaluable and important skills. Thus, the question about whether or not and how to disclose a person’s disabili-ty shifts to educating employers, addressing their con-
cerns, and getting them to hire someone who happensto have a disability. This change in thinking minimizes the disability as an issue and focuses on ability.
   The word disability is likely to raise concerns for some employers. Under the American’s with Disabili-ties Act (ADA) employers cannot ask about a disabili-ty. But, they may inquire about the need for reasonableaccommodation to perform essential job functions, if a qualified applicant’s disability is disclosed or visible.
This may make the employer feel uneasy raising con-cerns about being sued if the “wrong” thing is said. In such an instance, the employer may spend more timefocusing on his or her anxiety related to these unfound-ed concerns rather than the applicant.   One possible way to address this concern is to be up-front about the nature of the disability. However, sim-ply telling an employer the name of a disability suchas traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy or mental ill-ness may further confuse the employer. Instead of de-
scribing a disability in generic terms, communication should focus on what the job seeker does well, includ-ing strategies for getting around functional limitations,and personal life experiences. This can lead to discus-sions about how a particular job seeker’s strengths andtalents can benefit the employer and open the door tocustomizing job descriptions.