How to discuss your disability in an interview
By Deb Koen
originally posted at WSJ.com
CareerJournal
Question: I'm 27 years old and I hold an MBA. I'm driven,
poised, professional and disabled. Though I'm completely self-sufficient
and do not require any workspace or building adaptations, I feel that
my handicap is all potential employers see in an interview. How do I remove
my physical condition as a consideration without bringing up topics one
shouldn't discuss in an interview?
-- Jennifer, Houston
Jennifer: Although the interviewer is obliged to steer clear of discriminatory questions, you are free to raise the subject of your disability. If you believe that employers' perceptions or discomfort with your disability is the impetus of a lack of offers, try to dispel their misconceptions.
For example, hearing-impaired candidates can inform the interviewer up front of the best way to communicate. You may choose to make a brief reference to your disability and assert, as you did in your question, your self-sufficiency and drive. Then, focus the rest of the interview on how your skills and experience will meet the employer's needs.
This article reprinted in full without permission for the purposes of education and research, as permitted by Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.