March 20, 2011

Interviewing tips for people with disabilities

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During a job interview, the most important impression to get across to the hiring manager is your ability to do the tasks required. For many thousands of job seekers in the Puget Sound region, however, there is another hurdle to overcome: How to address a mental or physical disability.

While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities regarding employment, the issue of a disability still can be uncomfortable to address in a job interview. The ADA also prohibits interviewers from asking candidates about past medical conditions, including disabilities. However, these questions do sometimes get asked, and job seekers should be prepared to handle such delicate situations -- especially if the disability is clearly apparent to the interviewer.

Dr. Daniel J. Ryan, director of career planning and placement at the University at Buffalo and author of the recently released Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities, says the best course of action is to be honest. If your disability is visible, Ryan says that it is only natural that the interviewer will have question about your ability to do the job, even though the interviewer may not be able to bring up the topic.

In such cases, Ryan recommends taking the initiative to address the issue early and directly. "A failure to disclose the disability may result in the interviewer going through the motions, trying to be careful not to break any laws, but focusing less on your answers," he says.

Next, you must reassure the interviewer that your impairment will not interfere with the job's responsibilities, or will require only minimal accommodations. "This approach is your best bet at getting the interviewer's attention focused where you want it -- on your ability to do the job," Ryan says.

Those job seekers that have disabilities that are not immediately apparent are in a gray area regarding disclosure, Ryan says. The law does not require them to disclose such information, so it is up to the job seekers to decide when, or if, they should even mention it. But be sure not to lie about a disability. If an applicant provides false information during an interview, the prospective employer may have grounds for later termination -- even if there is evidence of unlawful discrimination under the ADA by the employer.

"In most cases, I have advised clients to wait until after an offer is extended to disclose any disability," Ryan says. "After you have agreed upon the terms of employment and have established a starting date, you should mention any accommodations you may need so that the employer can have them in place for you when you start."

Before going on an interview, Ryan also recommends that job seekers with disabilities contact the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. The network can provide confidential consultation and advice on the type of workplace accommodations that can be made for the interviewee's unique needs.

For more information on resources for job seekers with disabilities, visit the JAN: For Individuals page on their Web site.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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disabilities, interview

2 Comments

Laura Dodson on June 9, 2011 2:57 PM | Reply

Also note that at times there are tax credits for hiring folks with disabilities and that there are resources available to make the work place more accessable.

Nordic on September 2, 2011 8:30 AM | Reply

"During a job interview, the most important impression to get across to the hiring manager is your ability to do the tasks required. For many thousands of job seekers in the Puget Sound region, however, there is another hurdle to overcome: How to address a mental or physical disability."

As someone with an invisible disability who has applied for close to 200 jobs over the past two years and have failed my way through 2 dozen interviews, I feel qualified to address this issue.

The problem with the quote above is that it assumes that job interviews exist to test a person's ability to actually do the job. They aren't. They exist to weed out social misfits and anyone else who doesn't fit into the office culture, regardless of qualifications.

I go into every interview hoping for a chance to show off my knowledge and experience. Instead, I'm asked these stupid questions about my ability to be a "team player" and how I would prioritize my team if I had 100 things to do. You can be the best, most qualified person for the position, but if you can't succeed in the job interview dog and pony show you won't get a job.

That's the reality.

Nordic

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