According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 50 million people across the nation have some level of disability. For many of these people, finding a job, keeping it and being paid well can be challenging. Michael Farr and Daniel J. Ryan, Ph.D., believe many job seekers with disabilities would be more successful in their job search if they knew when and how to appropriately discuss a disability.
October 20, 2006
Indianapolis, IN -– Knowing when and how to address a disability during a job search could make the difference between landing a job and being told “thanks, but no thanks.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 50 million people across the nation have some level of disability, representing 18 percent of the nation’s population. For many of these people, finding a job, keeping it and being paid well can be challenging obstacles. In fact, 11.8 million people reported that the presence of a medical condition makes it difficult for them to find jobs and stay employed. Additionally, the Census Bureau reports that the average earnings of people with a non-severe disability is $22,000 as compared to $25,000 for people with no disability and $12,800 for people with severe disabilities.
Michael Farr and Daniel J. Ryan, Ph.D., authors of Quick Job Search for People with Disabilities, believe that many people would be more effective in their job search if they knew how and when to address their disabilities appropriately when writing their resumes and interviewing with employers. For example, as job seekers with disabilities create their resumes, many are unsure if they should include achievements that hint to the fact that they have a disability, such as winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics. “While this is clearly an outstanding achievement, it also informs the employer that the person has a disability. The sad truth is that discrimination still exists and often it is inadvisable to inform an employer about a disability before it is necessary,” say Farr and Ryan.
“However, if the person is applying for a position that is targeted toward people with disabilities including such an accomplishment on a resume would be a wise decision.”
The interview can be an especially disheartening challenge for people with disabilities that are easy for employers to recognize upon face to face interaction. “While the Americans with Disabilities Act has not effectively removed prejudicial attitudes toward people with disabilities, it has raised employers’ awareness of potential liability for a discrimination lawsuit. Because of that, many employers who interview people with disabilities become distracted by making a conscious effort to not break any laws, taking their focus away from concentrating on why the job seeker is a great candidate for the job,” say Farr and Ryan.
They encourage job seekers with disabilities to confidently address their situation head-on in an interview. The most effective approach to this is for job seekers to acknowledge their disability, explain how it has not affected their past work experience, and discuss why they are the ideal candidate for a position.
Quick Job Search for People with Disabilities is available from the publisher (www.jist.com or 1.800.648.JIST). For a free media copy or to speak with the authors, contact Natalie Ostrom.
JIST, America’s Career Publisher, is the leading publisher of job search, career, occupational information, life skills and character education books, workbooks, assessments, videos and software.
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