Last year I fell, twice.
The first time, I dislocated and broke my right foot. Two months later, I fell and tore my left Achilles tendon. Three surgeries and three months later, I returned to work in a wheelchair. Two months after that, I transitioned to a walker and eventually a cane. I am now able to walk without assistance, though I do have pain, restricted movement and I'm definitely not as fast as I was before. I still have trouble with stairs but I can manage them.
Here's my question. Now that I'm looking for a new job, should I be indicate on my application that I have a disability? What happens when someone checks the "yes" box?
Denise Pierce
Career & HR Business Partner
13
10/08/21 at 4:57AM UTC
I recommend refraining from discussing your disabilities early on in the process to avoid discrimination, even though the American Disabilities Act ADA is there to protect employees, it still can happen and unfortunately does. Hiring is a process of selection and eliminating those who don’t fit or align with an organization, therefore it is biased. Once an offer is made I would share if you have any special accommodations that need to be made that are reasonable within the scope of the job. Again the ADA lll laws protect and requires access for those disabled under specific circumstances-see link attached. You can target certain companies that would be required to have elevators so this is not a constraint for you. https://www.ada.gov/reachingout/title3l3.html
Best of luck to you!
Vikki Mueller EspinosaEmployee Engagement Expert and Certified Coach
46
10/01/21 at 1:13PM UTC
12 years ago I suffered a catastrophic knee injury. Full lateral dislocation. Three surgeries. And I have permanent nerve damage that left me with foot drop. I walk slowly and am considered disabled. I have disclosed my disability to my company. And they have been wonderful. Accommodations have been made to make it easier for me to fully participate at work. I don’t need them all the time. I still walk. When I do need them, it’s easy. Unless the job requires you to walk a lot, don’t feel like you need to disclose. If you disclose early, and they don’t choose you as the candidate because of it, do you really want to work for them? Shouldn’t matter unless they do walking interviews or have a massive onsite campus where you’d walk a lot.
[email protected]
22
09/25/21 at 5:55PM UTC
What disability? Unless you are applying as a personal trainer, a slow walk is NOT a disability.
Anonymous
09/27/21 at 3:30AM UTC
Wow. That was rude.
It's more than a slow walk, but I don't owe you all the details. You should probably educate yourself on what those disclosures actually include.
Emmy Bemmy
470
09/25/21 at 12:17AM UTC
This is a tough question. In terms of your general application, I don't think it is relevant. However, if you interview in person, will you need any physical accommodations? I can recall going to interviews where there was a lot of walking between buildings/climbing stairs/etc. If this isn't an issue at all, I definitely wouldn't bring it up. If it is, maybe mention when scheduling an interview?
Christine Peabody Healthcare Operations Professional in SD
76
09/23/21 at 10:05PM UTC
The definition of disability that employers are using for the disability question is based on the American Disability Act, which is:
-- He or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities;
-- He or she has a record of such an impairment; or
-- He or she is regarded as having such an impairment. (Reference: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/fact-sheet-disability-discrimination)
Based on the criteria above, would your doctor deem you as "disabled" and be able to provide documentation to support the decision? You may want to talk to your doctor and then decide how to complete that box.
I've also asked HR professionals where the response to the disability question goes and have been told that it most often goes to a database for documentation and doesn't influence the application process whatsoever because it's not passed on to the hiring team.
I've been through the disability question and hiring process and, bottom line, the hiring manager/leadership are the only important people who will really want/need to know if "reasonable accommodations" are necessary and whether they can make them happen.
Jackie RukaProfessionalHappyologist Thrive in your purpose.
2.5k
09/23/21 at 5:07PM UTC
I would refrain . An injury dies not necessarily equate to a disability, unless it inhibits your ability’s in daily life on a regular basis. Such as a spinal injury effecting leg function , permanently.
You are progressing, keep it up!
Anonymous
09/23/21 at 1:22PM UTC
I’m pretty sure the box on the application where you disclose if you have or had a history of a disability is kept separate from your application in the US. Companies ask this to comply with government rules, especially if they have government contracts I believe but this information can’t be considered during the hiring process. You will need to disclose to HR or the hiring manager during the process if you need some sort of accommodation to perform the job. As long as it’s a reasonable request it’s not supposed to impact the hiring process (legally it can’t but we all know companies find ways around that). But the form where you check the box, the responses are not kept in the same place as applications and I believe are not identifiable to an individual person where they are kept.
Ask to note, once employed by a company, every few years they send out this form to employees for them to respond to and are given the chance to respond differently if they wish. Again, pretty sure it is for government oversight and requirements and should not impact any applications or employment. Good luck!
Bobbie Lloyd
163
09/23/21 at 12:31PM UTC
Hi Anonymous,
It is at your discretion as this is temporary from your description. After healing from the surgeries/injuries, will you have limited movement or limitations on walking, standing, stairs or anything that typically is part of office life ? If not, then my opinion is not to disclose on the application and then during the interview if you find that you will need to travel to warehouse or alternate sites, you may need to disclose. Best wishes!
Natalie MicaleExecutive Coach
98
09/22/21 at 6:37PM UTC
Hi there. From the info you’ve provided, it sounds like you have been making gradual progress towards your baseline prior to the falls. If that is the case, and you expect to continue to recover, there is no need to provide this info, unless you personally want them to know. If you are unable to perform the requirements of a job without some sort of adaptive equipment/ reasonable accommodation, the employer should be able to provide that to you, assuming it truly is reasonable to expect you could do the job with the right equipment. These issues can be tricky because they deal with legal issues on the employers end, but overall, all anyone can do is be honest and forthcoming. I wish you all the luck!
Anonymous
09/21/21 at 7:10PM UTC
Agree with the response below! It's totally up to you if want to disclose your disability. Like Kelly said below, depending on the type of work, this could help them determine physical needs of the job (although, some job descriptions do disclose this info upfront; it's not consistent across all industries/companies like it should be) and if you need any workstation enhancements/modifications or scheduling flexibility, they would want to know how they can safely support you. Whatever you decide, I wish you the very best of luck in your job search!! Something amazing is around the corner for you.
