Embracing%20the%20Elephant%20in%20the%20Room:%20Interviewing%20Ideas%20for%20Applicants%20who%20are%20Deaf

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Embracing the Elephant in the Room Interviewing
Ideas for Applicants who are Deaf

• Julia Smith, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
• Western Oregon University
• Partners Building Bridges Overcoming Challenges
  through Leadership and Collaboration
• SCD Conference
• August 24, 2010

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What is meant by Elephant in the Room?
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Competition for Employment

• Employment rate for those with disabilities - 35
• Employment rate for persons with no disability -
  78 (NOD, 2007)

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Discrimination and Bias in the Workplace

• Current literature
• Employers have a positive attitude
• toward people with disabilities
• BUT
• Employers are reluctant to hire people with
  disabilities
• 19 of companies employ people with disabilities
• 72 say the nature of their work is too
  challenging for people with disabilities

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Laws that Protect Persons with Disabilities

• EEOC
• ADA
• 20th Anniversary
• Helpful to deaf employees?

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Searching for a Job is a Job

• Four hours a day is recommended
• Keep a consistent schedule
• Focus on the resume
• Customize objectives for specific job
• Chronological is best
• Functional good when there are gaps
• Use same language as the web page or from an
  informational interview

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Professional Etiquette

• First impressions are critical
• Present yourself as a professional at all times
• Understand your role as a job seeker
• Email
• Meeting people at conference
• Ethical considerations
• Deaf grapevine
• On-line communication

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Prepare for InterviewKnow the Job
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Employer Concerns

• Lack of knowledge of disability or the ADA
• Dont know how to interview individuals who are
  deaf or hard of hearing
• Concern of how co-worker and deaf or hard of
  hearing employee will interact
• Reasons why employers dont grant accommodations
• Undue burden too difficult/expensive
• Fundamental alteration change actual job
• Safety or direct threat
• Lack of exposure to success stories

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What Employer Really Wants to Know

• What will I need to do differently to supervise
  this individual?
• What can I expect from this individual in terms
  of production? Will I need to compromise what I
  ask her to do?
• Can I use my normal approach to
  correct/discipline the worker?
• What else do I need to know that I dont even
  know to ask?

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Interview Preparation

• Always request an informational interview
• Work with others to help develop skills
• Practice as much as possible (doesnt matter
  where)
• Go through mock interviews
• Try different strategies
• Understand the ADA and meaning of Reasonable
  Accommodations
• Example of when you might need an interpreter
• Useable technology

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Interviewing Skills
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Disability Disclosure

• Certainly, if you know that your condition is
  one that you know is going to come up its
  probably a good idea to take the bull by the
  horns and maintain control of the information
  flow and disclose it as soon as possible.
• Nancy Starnes, NOD, Director of External Affairs
• Judgment call/personal decision
• Paint picture of who you are
• Disability is only a part of who you are

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ADA - Rules Change During Employment

• 1. Applying for a job
• Employer limited at interview
• Focus of questions on the ability to do the job
• 2. Employer makes a job offer
• Rules change
• Must ask the same question to all
• Must be consistent
• Job offer withdrawn only with clear evidence
• 3. Offered job and begins job
• Employer can ask questions related to disability
  if employee is struggling with getting the job
  done

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Business and Budget
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Employer Incentives

• Budget is always a concern for employers
• Most aimed at non-state agencies with less than
  1,000,000
• Reported average return of 28.60 in benefits for
  every dollar invested in accommodations
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
• Small Business Tax Credit IRS Code Section 44,
  Disabled Access Credit

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Recognize Disability Fatigue
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• Examine attitude/issues that may come up
• Find support to help work through
  frustration/anger
• Present yourself as fresh and excited
• Be curious and maintain I/Thou relationship

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Sell Yourself

• Coordinate your individual needs and the company
  objectives
• Focus on questions of essential function or
  ability to do the job
• Show how you can be part of a team
• Build trust/reassurance
• Be powerful about what you are saying

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• Directly address issues
• Show that you can perform at same high quality
  level, but that you might get the job done
  differently
• Give examples
• Give examples of other agencies who hire deaf
  workers
• Have references available
• Remember employers are concerned about budget,
  safety, and inclusion

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• Julia Smith, Ph.D., LPC, CRC
• Rehabilitation Counselor Education
• Western Oregon University
• Monmouth, Oregon 97361
• 503-838-8744 (V)
• 866-724-5141 (VP)
• smithj_at_wou.edu

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References

• Acemoglu, D., Angrist, J. D. (2001).
  Consequences of employment protection? The case
  of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Journal
  of Political Economy, 109, 915-957.
• Bruyére, S. M., Ericson, W. A., Ferrentino, J. T.
  (2003). Identity and disability in the workplace.
  William Mary Law Review, 44, 1173-1197.
• Courtwright, A. M. (2009). Justice, stigma, and
  the new epidemiology of health disparities.
  Bioethics, 23, 90-96.
• DeLeire, T. (2003). The Americans with
  Disabilities Act and the employment of people
  with disabilities. In D. C. Stapeton R. V.
  burkhauser (Eds.). The decline in employment of
  people with disabilities A policy puzzle (pp.
  259-275). Kalamazoo, MI Upjohn Institute.
• Hernandez, B. (2000). Employer attitudes toward
  workers with disabilities and their ADA
  employment rights A literature review. Journal
  of Rehabiltation, 66, 4-16.
• Houston, K., Lammers, H. B., Svorny, S. (2010).
  Perceptions of the effect of the public policy on
  employment opportunities for individuals who are
  deaf or hard of hearing. Journal of Disability
  Policy Studies, 21, 9-21.
• Houtenville, A. (2002). Appendix. In P. Lennie
  S. B. Van Hemel (Eds.), Visual impairments
  Determining eligibility for Social Security
  benefits. Washington, DC National Academies
  Press.
• Larson, D. (2008). Unconsciously regarded as
  disabled. UCLA Law Review, 56, 451.
• Link, B. G., Phelan, J. C. (2001).
  Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of
  Sociology, 27,353-385.
• McMahon, B. T., Hurley, J. E. (2008).
  Discrimination in hiring under the Americas with
  Disabilities Act An overview of the national
  EEOC ADA research project. Journal of
  Occupational Rehabilitation, 18, 103-105.
• Peck, B, Kirkbride, L. T. (2001). Why
  businesses dont employ people with disabilities.
  Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 16, 71-75.