Networking Forum

Hi, Deb, you are raising a very important issue. “Aging with disability and the older worker with a disability” situation definitely should be addressed. I haven’t found myself confronting this problem. I assume that I would resolve this dilemma by disclosing my additional problems to colleagues as one of my friends in Ukraine did many years ago. In your discussion, however, you are touching some other problems, which are related to disability disclosure. This is about our feelings, emotions and fears. Each of us determines how and when it should be done. This may be beyond your control but I believe that our limitations should be disclosed immediately. It makes no sense to divide your physical limitations into obvious and “hidden” and then discuss them separately. Recently I read that we are our own worst enemies. It seems you are overly concern about what others think about you. I am confident that disclosure of your additional health problems will not affect your ability “to pull off a Congressional briefing because of (your) strong interpersonal skills and key contacts.”

Vladimir

Hi Deb:
I agree that you are raising an important issue but like Vladimir stated that it makes no sense to separate your obvious and hidden disabilities for disclosure. I can relate with your policy of "need to know about your disabilities" with your colleagues, because when I was much younger and my vision was a little better I use to do my best to conseal my disability of blindness from others but when that charade failed enough times, I realized that it was not in my best interest to pretend and that began my full acceptance of blindness and using the white cane and becoming more comfortable with disclosing my disability. Today, many years later, I have established myself in the disability employment field and although I have a good work background, I find the false perceptions lie more with the potential employers.

We have made some forward strides in the Disability Rights movement but we still have a ways to go in expanding the attitude and comfort levels of employers and disabled job seekers. This may be a contributor to the high level of under employment amongst people with disabilities.

Shanti

Hi Deb, I have to agree with what both Vladmir and Shanti have said, but I also understand your reluctance to only disclose on a need to know basis. Isn't that a sad statement when we're working in or with other disability groups.

I have had some bosses, even though I was up front with them about my limitations try and take advantage of it . I describe one incident in the Bless the Mess article and despite having that knowledge this particular person continued to hold people's disabilities over their head that she could fire them at will.

It's then that you must actively use the ADA and other human rights tribunals, but these are only used as final resorts.

Aging and disability shouldn't be a barrier, everyone ages whether able-bodied or disabled and their skill set will be affected and effected by aging as well.

Since you have a rapport of sorts with many of the 'players' you may be interviewing with, it should go easier than with strangers and they should have a more empathetic comprehension.

I guess what I'm saying is it's always better to be upfront and honest about our limitations. WE don't need to hold a meeting and discuss everything but having your colleagues aware of your limitations is far easier on you and them, than what they might be thinking otherwise.

People are remarkably understanding most times, there are those who are ignorant but you probably know them already, go for your skills, your integrity , your adaptability and you being you.

I do agree that when you're at the interview or networking, it's best to disclose the disability when it's appropriate, and use analytical skills as you would in everyday life.

Hi Deb. This is a difficult question for me to answer, since I have been out of the mainstream office environment for over 3 years. During my brief 7 month employment stint in 2003, I probably did not have ample time to truly get to know “all the fish in the pond”. Actually, in my situation, there really weren’t all that many “fish” swimming around in that “muddy little pond”. Luckily, during my 7 months of employment, I seemed to get along really well with most of my non-disabled co-workers - overall, I felt accepted as an equal. However, as we have all experienced at one time or another, there’s always a small number of co-workers or supervisors that seem to exhibit signs of distance, or discomfort in my presence. Whether my perception of these types of individuals were real or imagined, isn’t clear to me. I’ve never confronted anyone to open up and confess their perceptions of me, my blindness or my ability to perform job functions. Usually, it is suspicious actions that may be the telltale signs of a false perception. Unfortunately, in my case, the individuals who exhibited “distant behavior” were the ones responsible for supplying me with the data entry work to perform. After becoming faster and more efficient in my job functions, I was not given enough work to keep myself busy on a day long basis. This was a full-time job and I found myself struggling for creative and productive ways to fill up my afternoons. Despite my frequent subtle pleas to help out in other departments, (which I absolutely knew I could greatly contribute), no one took the initiative to alleviate my dilemma. Of course, one is left to wonder if the decision makers within this company truly had enough confidence in my abilities to nurture and present me with an opportunity to be an all-around key contributor. Mid-way through my employment, I really did feel like the token. Needless to say, this situation was one of several factors influencing my decision to leave. By the way, this company disappeared only about one and a half years after my departure.
John

Making application, or assuming a position without full disability disclosure is, in my opinion, dishonest and unethical, and will, in the end, cause the individual and the employer, difficulties.

Non disclosure also causes unintended consequences, because a burned employer will never consider another person with any disability.

Another situation exists that detracts from the ability for honest, ready for work, people from achieving success. Many people with disabilities continously seek employment, going from agency, to agency and using up time, when in fact, they have no real intention of actually working.

Work readiness, is essential, prior to beginning an active job search. With the aid of Psychological and Vocational, Evaluation, even Job trial's, or On The Job, Training, type of activities, assist's tremendously, and tends to establish that the Job Seeker, has both the skills, attitudes, abilities and proven desire to become employed.

C.F.S.
San Antonio, Texas

Deb, this is a really difficult situation and I really feel for you. I grew up low vision and thus could pass. I couldn't see the blackboards in school, could not see signs on buses or even most doors, and I could not see people's facial expressions. But adults told me to quote not bother people unquote and they stressed that I would be regarded as weird and different if I mentioned my low vision, so I didn't come out about it ever until I went completely blind.

Having both experiences, I often feel it is easier being completely blind, because both I and the other person are starting off with the shared basic fact that I can't see, and then it's just left to quibble over what that means and how it affects --if it does at all-- my other abilities. I don't waste huge amounts of my energy stressing about what I am missing and whether anyone has guessed that I can't see their facial expressions and gestures.

I think this last is one of the main points I learned about having an invisible disability: how much energy and anxiety was I willing to put out to maintain other people's image of me as a non-disabled person? Is it easier to not disclose and then try to explain and negotiate accommodations or is it easier to state that one has a disability and then go about demonstrating how, if at all, that impacts one's ability to do a job? I also agree, just because one is in a field that is about disability does not mean fellow wmployees are very open-minded about working with a person with a disability. I am often the only disabled person in the room or classroom when disability issues are discussed, it is pretty amazing.