By Tamar Asedo Sherman
Employers cannot ask anything about your disability, even if it is obvious that you have one, when you arrive for your job interview in a wheelchair. All the employer is permitted to ask is if you can perform the essential functions of the job. If the job you are applying for is a sedentary office job, your only concern might be if the workstation is large enough to accommodate your wheelchair, if you can get into the building, and if there is a wheelchair- accessible restroom nearby.
But if you are applying for something that requires more physical activity, like the stock clerk position in a supermarket that Joseph, a recent high school graduate, was going for, you might need to be more proactive. He was a regular at a weekly work readiness training program we hold at UCP’s Employment Connection.
My suggestion to Joe was to tackle that 800-pound gorilla in the room head-on. He shouldn’t wait for the interviewer to ask him whether he could lift cases of merchandise and put them on the top shelf. He should begin by saying, “I bet you’re wondering just how I expect to reach that top shelf. Well let me show you how.” And let their jaws drop as he demonstrates: Joe has a wheelchair that stands him up, so he could lift a case of cereal, for instance, onto his lap, then press a button and-presto!-have the wheelchair raise him up so he could transfer the boxes to the shelf.
Many people who use wheelchairs do not realize that technology now offers wheelchairs that can stand their riders, raise them up in a sitting position, or even climb stairs. So if wheelchair users are not aware of the latest technology, you can be fairly certain that most able-bodied people don’t know, either.
Using a wheelchair is also preferable to walking with Canadian crutches in the workplace. I have advised a few people who are proud that they can walk to save their crutches for home and use a wheelchair at work, or certainly for job interviews. One is Don, a 35-year-old man with cerebral palsy with excellent customer service and computer skills.
But he is so unsteady on his feet that he looks as if he is an accident waiting to happen. Employers might well be concerned that he would be a liability in the workplace. In addition, he cannot carry anything, as he needs both hands to navigate with his crutches.
Another situation where a wheelchair is a liability is for a couple of recent high school graduates who want to work as teacher aides in preschool or day care situations. Chris and Jennifer both had internships or summer jobs throughout high school as teacher aides, but are having trouble getting hired now that they are out of school. Chris, with spina bifida, felt that he was well accepted by the children and the teachers and was hurt that no one would hire him, after going on several interviews.
From the employer’s perspective, however, his presence in a wheelchair was potentially detrimental. What if there were an emergency? Would Chris be able to grab one child under each arm the way an able-bodied teacher would and whisk them out of the building? Or would the other adults be concerned about his welfare as well as the children’s'?
Remember, however, that if your disability is invisible, the way it is for many people with MS, you do not have to disclose it. Mary said she felt it was only fair to warn a prospective employer that she might have an exacerbation at some point and be unable to work for a few days or weeks. I asked when her last exacerbation was, and she had to think back for quite a while before answering, “About a year.” Well, then, no one can predict when they might get the flu and be out for a couple of weeks, or get into an accident or contract some other disease. There are no guarantees of anyone’s good health and able body lasting forever.
The only time you need to disclose a hidden disability is if you are asking for an accommodation, such as a modified work schedule or days off on a regular basis for ongoing medical treatments. But do not tell more than you need to. Remember, the employer is not allowed to ask you personal questions relating to a disability, your age, marital status, if you have children, about your race, gender, religion, ethnic background, country of origin, or sexual preferences. The questions have to relate to the job.
How should you respond if you are asked an illegal question, you might wonder? Give people the benefit of the doubt, and try to give a diplomatic response.
Tamar Asedo Sherman is an employment specialist. She can be reached at tsherman@unitedspinal.org.
