tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post8491310616172039440..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: Job Search - A Disabilities QuestionBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-88074063620715692992012-11-22T14:26:15.527-08:002012-11-22T14:26:15.527-08:00what a great discussion! i love framing mobility ...what a great discussion! i love framing mobility issues as "not yet" a challenge we all have.<br /><br />susan -- how thoughtful to be accomodating of those who can't or won't drive that distance. <br /><br />one other thing i can think of is to schedule or offer breaks. for example, one of my friends has insulin-dependent diabetes -- and he is absolutely fine with it on a normal schedule, but he needs to check his sugars and to eat regularly -- so marathon sessions are a problem for him. <br /><br />happy thanksgiving! kathy a.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14479337952651746193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-51359645457850661032012-11-22T08:47:26.592-08:002012-11-22T08:47:26.592-08:00Thanks for commenting, Richard. I find "not ...Thanks for commenting, Richard. I find "not yet disabled" really helpful in keeping me thoughtful.Bardiachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-75869263818079268262012-11-21T16:05:41.995-08:002012-11-21T16:05:41.995-08:00Thank you for using the phrase "not yet disab...Thank you for using the phrase "not yet disabled." I first heard that a good fifteen years ago from a friend of mine in the accessible technology field, and have used it ever since. Using it in presentations really seems to make the audience take accessibility issues more seriously.richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-86748178483387910312012-11-21T05:33:48.021-08:002012-11-21T05:33:48.021-08:00Thanks for this discussion, all, and especially fo...Thanks for this discussion, all, and especially for explaining the "impairment"/"disability" difference. I love when the blogging community educates me.Bardiachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-58169059348565898442012-11-20T18:01:30.256-08:002012-11-20T18:01:30.256-08:00Since our campus is new, everything is designed to...Since our campus is new, everything is designed to be accessible, but there are some long hallways. (And I always wonder what happens for our students in wheelchairs when the elevators break.) We always ask about needs, but I think not expecting impairments. Dame Eleanor's list is extremely useful.<br /><br />Our big trip up is that our nearest airport is about an hour away, and some candidates can't/don't want to drive. When that's the case, we either organize the train (not good connections, but it works) or if we can, someone drives to pick them up. Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716705206734059708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-68887858444380903642012-11-20T12:52:10.010-08:002012-11-20T12:52:10.010-08:00Nitewriter, the cane/device idea is one of Ms Ment...Nitewriter, the cane/device idea is one of Ms Mentor's suggestions, too. It allows the person with assistive device to take charge of the situation and direct the conversation.Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-52020587460346909302012-11-20T09:58:20.373-08:002012-11-20T09:58:20.373-08:00Last year I did a conference presentation at a uni...Last year I did a conference presentation at a university that had older buildings on campus. Unbeknownst to me, my presentation was scheduled in one of those buildings. There was no elevator and my presentation room was on the third floor. I had no choice but to take the stairs. There are times when I simply cannot manage stairs but fortunately I was able to do so on that day (of course I paid for it for a week afterward with joint pain). <br /><br />It never occurred to me that a public building would not have an elevator. So I never asked. I'll not make that mistake again. <br /><br />If I were to interview on a campus somewhere, I think that my inclination would be to take my cane and use it while on the interview visit. When using an assistive device (cane, scooter, wheelchair, crutches, etc.) people know upfront that there is a mobility issue. They cannot legally ask if it's an injury or disability. And someone using a cane will never be asked to do a lot of walking. <br /><br />Just some random thoughts about going on interviews. I really like Susan's approach.Nitewriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02003748081529399564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-5833632068562001692012-11-20T07:49:52.324-08:002012-11-20T07:49:52.324-08:00One thing that I think search committees can do is...One thing that I think search committees can do is simply be open to the concept that candidates have needs of all sorts, and be clearly open to soliciting feedback from the candidate. When I invite people to convention interviews, one of the things I will do is send an email explaining who's on the committee attending the convention and how we will approach the interview. I will also ask whether there is anything we can do in order to make the interview an accessible experience (need to figure out a better way of putting it). When we set up campus visits, I will ask each candidate whether there is anything in particular we need to be aware of as we schedule the visit and whether there are any particular sorts of experiences they want to have while on campus--so that people who want to, say, connect with environmental studies folks on campus b/c they do environmental rhetoric can ask for that, people who are interested in LGBT issues can ask for that, people who want to talk to people with engineering connections can do that.<br /><br />One of the things I've learned living with someone who manages multiple chronic medical conditions is that we don't all move through the world at the same speed or in the same way. There is such a power imbalance in the job search; making it as easy as possible for someone to say "you know, it takes me a long time to walk between buildings so I'd appreciate a campus tour by car" is important. So I guess I will ask each candidate, as we arrange the campus visit, whether they are OK walking around. Maybe they will all say yes, but it opens the possibility for someone to say "you know, it's hard for me to walk that far in an hour."<br /><br />I also think we should provide a draft schedule for a campus visit to a candidate and ask "does this look OK to you?" That again opens the possibility for someone to request adjustments as needed.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000470374101306070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-28647401302585153672012-11-20T07:18:51.000-08:002012-11-20T07:18:51.000-08:00"Accessibility" varies depending on the ..."Accessibility" varies depending on the type of disability. Example: many new restrooms don't have doors, but twisty passageways to enter, so that views are blocked but no one has to push/pull a door (also a hygiene feature, since you don't have to touch the handle everyone else touches). But my mother, who had Parkinson's, could walk fine in a straight line and could manage doors, but changing direction was very hard for her.<br /><br />Nonetheless, doors can be tricky. Where are the handles, what type of handle, how heavy is the door, is there a button to press to open the door automatically? The bar about which you think "oh you can just lean on that" may injure the hip of someone with a disability; a handle with a lever to depress may be difficult for someone else. Depends on wrists and hands.<br /><br />Stairs, obviously: are there elevators or ramps?<br /><br />Sinks in the washrooms: how do the taps work? The best is the kind that run if you stick your hands under the faucet. Push-down or turn handles are hard for people with hand problems.<br /><br />Distances around campus, especially in bad weather, as it often is in interview season in the north. Do you expect to show a person the campus on foot, and what will you think of someone who can't keep up or begs off? Consider that there are ways around the expectation that people will run around from office building to classroom building to library. For example, I have a friend whose library arranged to deliver the books she requested to her office. Are classrooms in the same building as your offices? <br /><br />Verticality of the campus: flat may be easier, but if there are grades, how steep are they? Would they be navigable by a wheelchair or scooter? <br /><br />Are sidewalks kept free of snow and ice in winter<br /><br />Is there handicapped parking near your building?<br /><br />Microphones: if a candidate has difficulty speaking loudly, or loudly enough in a large room, can you provide amplification?<br /><br />Visual impairments: how large and clear is signage around your campus?<br /><br />Ms Mentor discusses disabilities in both of her books; this can be useful from the point of view both of candidates and of interviewers.<br /><br />People with physical disabilities are usually good at creative problem-solving: they've been coping with their impairments for awhile, and know what works. Ask them.<br /><br />And BTW, the disability communitity distinguishes between "impairment" (the physical manifestation) and "disability" (the social/cultural effects of the impairment). In the right environment, a person with significant impairment need not experience any disability.<br /><br />Thank you for thinking about these things, and good luck to Nitewriter.Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com