Comment by itishappy
15 hours ago
I just applied to a job and part of it was a disability disclaimer. Here's the list:
* Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
* Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
* Blind or low vision
* Cancer (past or present)
* Cardiovascular or heart disease
* Celiac disease
* Cerebral palsy
* Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
* Diabetes
* Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
* Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
* Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
* Intellectual or developmental disability
* Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
* Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
* Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
* Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
* Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
* Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
* Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
* Short stature (dwarfism)
* Traumatic brain injury
The form asks if you currently have or have ever had one of these in the past. Well, I don't know if anyone I've met hasn't. I said "no." I have no idea what the right approach here is.
I'd definitely not tick "low vision" and then straighten my glasses in a disapproving manner
If you want the job the right answer's going to be no. Unfortunately only a small fraction of those maladies gets you on disability, almost none of them before age 50.
Or say yes, then sue when they don't hire you.
Yeah... Asking that can't be legal, right?
1 reply →
How can you say anything except no? Who, when applying for a job, wants to make themself look like a less attractive candidate?
The hiring manager probably doesn't see it, but recruiters and HR do, and they have a mandate to make sure that the company is hiring at least X% of people with disabilities.
In a world where 99% of resumes are never going to get seen by the hiring manager, checking the disability box might be the only way to have your application get past the initial recruiter/HR or recruiting-software screen.