FOUNDED IN 1953 BY A GROUP OF VISIONARY PARENTS WHO KNEW THEIR TEENAGE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES COULD BE CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IF GIVEN A CHANCE, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS HAS ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE ABILITIES OF PEOPLE. TODAY, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS IS REDEFINING “DISABILITY” THROUGH ADVANCED LEARNING, DEEP COMMUNITY SUPPORT, AND MEANINGFUL WORK, PROVING THAT EVERYONE–WHEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY–ADDS VALUE TO OUR WORLD. DAN MEYERS IS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF VOCATIONAL SERVICES AT OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS, A MINNEAPOLIS, MN, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF HELPING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIVE, LEARN, AND WORK MORE INDEPENDENTLY. LEARN MORE AT OPPORTUNITIES.ORG.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: HOW CAN RECENT GRADUATES WHO HAVE DISABILITIES BEST NAVIGATE THE ROAD FROM COLLEGE CAMPUS TO CORPORATE BOARDROOM?

DAN MEYERS: COLLEGE GRADUATES WHO HAVE DISABILITIES SHOULD FOLLOW THE SAME ADVICE GIVEN TO JOBSEEKERS WITHOUT DISABILITIES. YOUR FIRST, PERFECT JOB IS USUALLY NOT GOING TO LAND IN YOUR LAP WITH NO WORK ON YOUR PART. TO GET AHEAD, YOU USUALLY HAVE TO WORK YOUR WAY UP, AND THERE AREN’T SHORT CUTS TO HARD WORK. HOWEVER, YOU WILL GET AHEAD WITH DEDICATION, EXCELLENT WORK, AND A GREAT ATTITUDE. NEVER PASS UP AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN NEW SKILLS OR MAKE A NEW CONTRIBUTION. LANDING A JOB AFTER COLLEGE CAN BE DIFFICULT IN TODAY’S ECONOMY. WHILE YOU REFINE YOUR JOB SEARCH AND PRACTICE YOUR INTERVIEWING SKILLS, YOU CAN GAIN SOME EXPERIENCE AS AN INTERN IN YOUR FIELD OR A COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER FOR A CAUSE FOR WHICH YOU ARE PASSIONATE. THESE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES LOOK GREAT ON A RESUME AND WILL HELP YOU STAND OUT TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS. I CAN’T UNDERSCORE THE POWER OF NETWORKING AS YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER. MEET AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, RELATIVES, AND YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS. IF YOU AREN’T SET UP ON LINKEDIN, DO IT TODAY. YOU CAN ALSO SEEK OUT YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OR COLLEGE ALUMNI GROUPS TO JOIN, EITHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE, OR SEEK OUT A MENTOR WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB, THE MORE LIKELY YOU WILL GET A LEAD THAT TURNS GOLDEN. THERE MAY BE BUMPS ALONG THE WAY, BUT CONSIDER THEM LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM AND MOVE ON.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: SHOULD JOBSEEKERS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES ON THEIR RESUMES AS HAVING A DISABILITY?

DANMEYERS: NO. UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIFIC REASON YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY, THERE IS NO REASON TO LIST IT ON YOUR RESUME. IF YOU HAVE AN OBVIOUS DISABILITY, THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER WILL FIND OUT DURING THE INTERVIEW. IF YOU HAVE A “HIDDEN DISABILITY,” YOU WILL STILL WANT TO LAND AN INTERVIEW AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER YOUR DISABILITY IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SHARE. IF YOU FEEL THERE IS NO REASON TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION, DON’T. IFYOU FEEL THAT SHARING ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY IS IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT IS YOUR DECISION. IF YOU NEED REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO PERFORM THE JOB, YOU WILL NEED TO DISCLOSE THAT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATIONS.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: SHOULD JOBSEEKERS NOTIFY POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS THAT THEY NEED A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BEFORE THE INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EXTENDED?

DAN MEYERS:: NO. LAND THE INTERVIEW FIRST AND THEN USE THE INTERVIEW AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. IF YOU NEED REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERVIEW, THEN YOU WILL WANT TO INFORM THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER, AND THE EMPLOYER IS OBLIGATED UNDER THE ADA TO PROVIDE THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR YOU TO TAKE PART IN THE INTERVIEW. YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THIS PROCESS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A SENSE ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE COMPANY AND WHETHER IT WILL BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU. YOU WANT TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT IS ACCEPTING AND ACCOMMODATING.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: HOW CAN NEW EMPLOYEES INTERACT WITH THEIR FELLOW EMPLOYEES WHO DO NOT HAVE DISABILITIES?

DAN MEYERS: THIS ADVICE COULD APPLY TO ANYONE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY. AS A NEW EMPLOYEE, YOU HAVE A LOT TO LEARN AND A LOT TO OFFER. LIKE ANY NEW EMPLOYEE, YOU WILL BENEFIT BY GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CO-WORKERS, LEARNING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT THE COMPANY, AND WORKING HARD. YOU CAN STAND OUT AND BROADEN YOUR CIRCLE OF CO-WORKERS BY VOLUNTEERING FOR WORKPLACE COMMITTEES, EATING LUNCH IN THE EMPLOYEE CAFETERIA, AND SO ON.

 

YOUR CO-WORKERS MAY BE CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY IF THEY ARE AWARE OF IT. I RECENTLY ASKED THIS QUESTION OF MIKE, A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE WHO USES A WHEELCHAIR DUE TO A DIVING ACCIDENT YEARS AGO. HE SAID HE TRIES TO “BREAK THE ICE” WITH NEW CO-WORKERS BY OPENING THE DOOR TO A CONVERSATION. HE’LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE, “BEFORE MY ACCIDENT, I ...” WITHOUT FAIL, THE PERSON HE IS SPEAKING WITH WILL TAKE THIS AS AN INVITATION TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS LIKE: WHAT HAPPENED? HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED A WHEELCHAIR? PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY CURIOUS BUT MAY NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS OR TALK ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY. ONCE THAT CURIOSITY IS MET, IT OFTEN LEADS TO A MORE COMFORTABLE WORKING RELATIONSHIP. MIKE SAYS IT BEST BY NOTING, “ONCE PEOPLE GET TO KNOW ME, THE WHEELCHAIR STARTS TO DISAPPEAR.”

 

IF YOU WILL NEED AN ACCOMMODATION OR ASSISTANCE FROM A CO-WORKER, ADDRESS IT UP FRONT. EVERYONE WANTS TO DO A GOOD JOB AND MAINTAIN A COMFORTABLE, RESPECTFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT, ALTHOUGH SOME OF YOUR CO-WORKERS MAY NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. CERTAINLY IF IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT YOUR DISABILITY, OR IF YOU HAVE A HIDDEN DISABILITY, THEN YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KEEP IT PRIVATE. CO-WORKERS WILL GET THE HINT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DISCUSS AN OBVIOUS DISABILITY. KEEP YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH CO-WORKERS PROFESSIONAL AND FRIENDLY AND YOU CAN’T GO WRONG.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: HOW CAN NEW EMPLOYEES BECOME ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WITHIN THEIR NEW WORKING ENVIRONMENT?

DAN MEYERS: FOCUS ON ABILITIES, NOT DISABILITIES. THE BEST ADVOCACY IS GOOD WORK PERFORMANCE, AND YOUR PERSONAL EXCELLENCE WILL DO WONDERS TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS. IF IT IS COMFORTABLE FOR YOU, YOU MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ABOUT DISABILITIES WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES. MANY COMPANIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONSITE EDUCATION AND TRAINING. TALK TO YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT SETTING UP A DIVERSITY COUNCIL MADE UP OF STAFF MEMBERS OR ARRANGING A BROWN BAG LUNCH TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT DISABILITY TOPICS. THESE COULD BE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.

 

CAREERS & THE DISABLED: WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD JOBSEEKERS ASK ON THE INTERVIEW RELATED TO DISABILITY TOPICS, SUCH AS DIVERSITY COUNCILS OR AFFINITY GROUPS, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ETC.?

DAN MEYERS: YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT A COMPANY’S DIVERSITY POLICY BY LOOKING AT THE COMPANY WEBSITE. UNDERSTANDING THE EMPLOYER’S GENERAL INCLUSION POLICIES IS IMPORTANT AND IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT SPECIFIC SUPPORT NETWORKS MIGHT BE AVAIL - ABLE. HOWEVER, AS AN APPLICANT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON THE JOB AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMPANY AND HOW YOUR SKILLS AND ABILITIES WILL CONTRIBUTE TO ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS.