|
You have a job to fill and a person with a disability applies.
This individual is the same as any other job applicant except that he or she
has a physical, mental, or communication disability. It is your responsibility
to determine if the person is qualified, but you should do it the same basic
way you would handle any other applicant. This is where your own feelings about
people with disabilities come into play. If you are uncomfortable, ask
yourself, "Why?" Is the reality of the disability the applicant's problem? Or
is it your problem?
Here are some tips to help you and the applicant with a disability
feel at ease with each other:
GREETING THE APPLICANT
Perhaps you have a friend or relative who has a significant
disability. If so, you probably see this person as an individual rather than as
a person with a disability, and you have some understanding of what he or she
can and cannot do. For many who do not have close contact with a person with a
disability, the first experience might cause anxiety: "Am I going to say and do
the right things?" When in doubt as to whether to assist an individual, asking
"May I be of assistance?" or "Is there anything I can do to make your visit
more pleasant?" should break the ice and allow the applicant to tell you what,
if anything, is needed.
For example, if the applicant has a visual disability or is blind,
identify yourself, shake hands and offer the applicant the option of taking
your arm for direction if you need to go to another location. If a guide dog
comes, too, just let it do its job and do not pet or speak to it.
If the applicant has a hearing limitation, and you have no
experience in sign language, look at the individual, speak in your normal tone
of voice, and be prepared to exchange information in writing. Have note pads
and pencils handy. Ask the applicant whether an interpreter would facilitate
full and effective communication, and if necessary, reschedule the appointment
when an interpreter is available. If the applicant is accompanied by an
interpreter, talk to the applicant. The interpreter may ask to sit next to you
to better interpret your conversation.
If the applicant has a cognitive disability, greet him or her as
you would any other applicant and use the vocabulary common to the job.
Like all applicants, people with disabilities need to discuss
their assets and liabilities during the interview. After you understand the
person's potential for the job, it is okay to say something like: "Would you
explain to me how you will perform the job and what, if any, kind of
accommodation you might need?" Remember, the individual may be the best expert
on what accommodations he or she may need.
Wrong perspective-"If I were in your shoes, I don't know how I
could possibly do this job."
Right perspective-"This person with a disability is applying for
the job. If I became disabled but was capable of performing this job, would I
wish to be treated like any other applicant without a disability? Let's see
about the applicant's experience, training, and education; then we'll deal with
the possibility that the disability might require an accommodation in order for
the individual to do the functions of the job."
PROCESSING THE APPLICATION
Your company's regular procedures should be consistent with the
ADA (see Appendix A), and you should follow them. (Note that the ADA prohibits
any pre-employment inquiries about disability.) If the applicant's disability
prevents him or her from filling out an application, offer assistance in
filling out the application or allow him or her to take it home, stating a
specific time to return. This action is a reasonable accommodation to your
procedures.
TESTING THE APPLICANT
The ADA has specific requirements for testing people with
disabilities, including the obligation to provide a reasonable accommodation,
if needed, to ensure that tests reflect an individual's ability to do a job
rather than the effect(s) of a disability. The ADA requires that employers test
people with visual, hearing, speaking, or mobility disabilities in ways that do
not test the disability. A job applicant has the responsibility, under the ADA,
to request an alternative test format. The EEOC suggests that employers may
wish to inform applicants in advance that a test will be given, so that an
applicant can notify the employer of any need for accommodation or different
format. If the requested accommodation is not available at the time the test is
administered, the employer may need to reschedule the test. If your company
requires any kind of test and the applicant's disability does not interfere,
give the test in the same way you would for any other candidate.
Blindness, motor disability affecting the use of hands or eye/hand
coordination, and learning disabilities may prevent an applicant from passing
some tests even though he or she might have the ability to do the job. Rely
instead on the applicant's work experience, training, and education. Remember,
when the applicant's disability makes it impractical to complete a test,
particularly one which is timed, the results may not accurately predict the
applicant's abilities and potential success on the job. Reading a test to an
applicant who has a reading or learning disability is one way to measure
abilities for jobs where reading skill is not necessary to perform the job.
Consult EEOC's regulations for further guidance on the ADA's requirements
related to testing.
|
"You do not have to hear or speak to do sheet-metal work."
- Wray Calahan, Human Resources Specialist, The Boeing Co.
|
|
"GM's philosophy is to bring people who are disabled into
the mainstream workforce and view them as part of the mainstream marketplace.
This is not only the right thing to do; it also makes good business sense. A
market of 54 million people is one we want to serve."
-John F. Smith,
Chairman and CEO, General Motors Corporation |
[ Previous Page
]
[ Back to Index Page
]
[ Next Page ]
|
