Interesting! I completely agree with Rahul! I have a disability, so what? The world must know about it up front! As far as I am concerned, I am only class 10 pass, and have not done badly professionally at all! I still get job offers even at my age, and I am past retirement age long back! So there is something to think about there? If you are capable and a good and willing learner, and do not have the intention of just getting by, I think this world is more than willing to hire us! They need productive people, and they are smart enough to recognize one when they see one, or see a CV! The only thing is that we must continue to display our abilities all the time where ever we are! Always make it a habit to do a great job!
Hope that helps? Warmly Preeti Preeti Monga - Chief Executive Officer Inspiring INCLUSION! Fostering DIGNITY! Mobile : 91 9871701646 Landline : 011 22781446 E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.silver-linings.org Our Services: Recruitment, Trainings- Unique Motivation Programmes, Diversity & Inclusion, POSH. Your Choice to partner with us contributes towards quality Education & Empowerment of Visually Impaired Girls, and providing them with secure Hostel facility at SHIKSHA (A CSR Initiative of Silver Linings) -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Rahul Bajaj Sent: 14 September 2018 17:18 To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] Disclosure of disability in a job application: your personal views Kartik, it is certainly a personal decision, but I definitely believe that there is great value to be gained by making a case, in your job application, for the proposition that you have achieved a significant amount of success, assuming you have, despite your disability. In this way, you are able to arrogate to yourself the power to shape your narrative, insofar as it concerns your disability. To illustrate, I used to mention in my cover letter that the battle to thrive in a world designed essentially for the sighted has endowed me with a unique set of problem-solving skills which sets me apart. I think that you can present your disability as an asset if you do this. Second, to your point about potential employers discerning the fact that you are disabled when they see you for the interview, I think that approach deprives them of the opportunity to give careful thought to how your disability might impact your work and to frame constructive questions on that basis. Whatever questions they ask you in such a scenario would be off the cuff and so you may not be able to get a chance to address all their inhibitions. Third, I think it may not be a good idea to operate on the premise that, for a person with a disability, the employment decision will wholly be based on your qualifications and your disability will play no part in the process. I think it certainly plays a part, even though it is true that you can later, by dint of your talents and abilities neutralize its role completely. This being so, it's best, in my view, to exhibit the willingness to discuss it upfront, as opposed to letting things unfold in their own way. Finally, I think it is also true that there are disabled people and then there are disabled people. Not everyone may have an academic record or work experience that can make you so much better qualified than others that you clearly have an upper hand, if the disability is taken out of the calculus. In that event, trying to downplay its impact may be the best idea. Best, Rahul Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 14, 2018, at 11:13 AM, Kartik Sawhney <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi, > > This is a very personal decision in my opinion. A resume is meant to > highlight some of the most important things you'd like to tell about > yourself to a potential employer. If you decide that disability is one > of those things, then sure, it should be included. However, if you > think that disability is not as key from a resume perspective, and > you'd only like to include it to give a heads-up to the employer, then > I don't think that's necessary, especially for a visible disability. > In any case, during the interview, the interviewers would know that > you are a person with a disability. But at that time, you will have an > opportunity to explain how you can accomplish your job well using > assistive technology and how you have not let your disability be an > impediment in the past. In India and the US both, there continues to > be a lack of awareness, but it is not always the case that people > don't want to understand. Your resume may be reviewed by people who > genuinely don't think you can do the task because they really don't > know anything about disability, but the same people might be the most > supportive once you demonstrate how you do your work. Of course, you > might need to disclose even before interview but after you have been > shortlisted for one to get reasonable accommodations. Personally, I > disclose disability indirectly on my resume through my work in the > field and awards etc. > > Best, > -Kartik > >> On 9/13/18, Rahul Bajaj <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi All, >>>> >>>> I hope this message finds you well. >>>> >>>> I was actually wondering what you thought about something that >>>> flows from a conversation that I had with some blind lawyers in the >>>> US in a meeting aimed at guiding some fresh law school graduates >>>> with disabilities who are finding great difficulty getting employed. >>>> >>>> One line of argument was that a disabled lawyer should not disclose >>>> their disability in their job application/cv, given that this >>>> wouldgive an employer a potential reason to discriminate and to >>>> find strategic ways to disguise that discrimination in such a >>>> subtle way as to ensure that it does not appear legally suspect >>>> (principally by citing reasons not related to a person's disability >>>> for not giving an interview call or the like, when the actual >>>> reason is disability). Proponents of this view believe that the >>>> interview process is solely aimed at ascertaining whether an >>>> applicant is qualified for the job concerned and that a disability >>>> has no bearing on that determination. By bringing the disability >>>> into the picture, you often end up colouring a potential employer's >>>> views about you in a negative way. They argue that the disability >>>> can be discussed once a decision to hire you has been made, for discussing reasonable accommodations. >>>> >>>> On the other hand, I am of the view that it is important to proceed >>>> on the premise that people do not have a discriminatory intent and >>>> to disclose the fact of your disability upfront while also making >>>> clear that your disability has not held you back from realizing >>>> your full potential, as opposed to brushing this issue under the >>>> carpet and thereby squandering the opportunity to disabuse a >>>> potential employer of false notions and stereotypes about a >>>> disabled person's competence. My view is that concealing the fact >>>> of one's disability at the time of applying prevents a potential >>>> employer from reflecting on the modus operandi that a disabled >>>> employee is likely to adopt to perform their functions and >>>> consequently from asking questions about the disability in the >>>> interview which can enable them to form a more informed view about the applicant's suitability. >>>> >>>> I'd be grateful if you could share your personal view about this, >>>> whenever convenient, based on your own experience and conversations >>>> you may have had with folks with disabilities. Some of them were >>>> suggesting that my views may be based on some unique features of >>>> Indian society which merit closer scrutiny. Thank you. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Best, >>>> Rahul >>>> Sent from my iPhone >> >> >> >> >> Search for old postings at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> [email protected] >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.or >> g.in >> >> >> Disclaimer: >> 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking >> of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its >> veracity; >> >> 2. 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To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
