[ Music ]
[Narrator] It's a long way from the classroom
to that first job interview.
And for students with disabilities,
there may be some awkward moments when they get there.
[Interviewer] Tell me.
How did you happen to go blind?
[Interviewer] Gosh, you're such an inspiration.
But computer programming's really demanding.
[Interviewer] So you probably can't use a computer, right?
'Cause you're crippled, right?
[Interviewer] So, how'd you happen to go blind?
[Interviewer] Don't you get sick a lot?
[Interviewer] Right?
[Interviewer] Hmmm, tell me.
How'd you happen to go blind?
[Narrator] Well, of course they aren't supposed
to ask those questions.
As a career counselor
or work-based learning coordinator, you know that.
But it does happen, and some potential employers may be
thinking those things even though they'd never say them.
Learning to deal with employers' concerns
and assumptions is essential.
[Randy] Interviews, to begin with, are a game in psychology.
You're showing them that you are the greatest thing in the world
and they want you so badly that they can't stand it.
For the disabled person it's a little more tricky,
because you have to prove to them
that you are the hottest thing in the world
and they can't stand not having you,
and you can do the job even though you have the disability.
[Co-worker] Did you want to do the Airborne thing tonight?
[Todd] Yes, let's get it together before I go.
[Co-worker] Okay, I'll be here for a little bit longer.
[Todd] Okay, great.
[Co-worker] All right.
[Todd] Thanks.
[Co-worker] See you, Todd.
[Narrator] The ADA, or American with Disabilities Act,
prohibits discrimination in the workplace.
[ Phone dialing beeps ]
[Narrator] People with disabilities need to be aware
of their legal rights.
But they also have to consider the impact of their disabilities
as they plan their career-seeking strategies.
You can help with that process.
[Vic] We've found that internships, co-op programs,
and other work-based programs are very effective in terms
of students learning how to interview, learning how and when
to disclose disabilities,
and learning what accommodations students might need
in different work situations.
[Supervisor] There's this mailing project
that I need you to work on.
[Minda] Okay.
[Supervisor] It's going to go to about 20 or 30 people?
[Narrator] Unfortunately,
students with disabilities don't enter work-based learning
programs as often as other students.
Inclusion in those programs may take some specific
recruiting efforts.
[Minda] I think students with disabilities think that maybe
that those opportunities aren't for them,
that maybe that those programs internships
or things aren't geared toward people with disabilities,
so maybe they just don't want to apply or think
that they're applicable.
[Narrator] One way to reach those students is
to ask the Disabled Student Services Office
to help you advertise your activities and services.
They might be able to distribute information about your programs
and connect you to student groups
that would appreciate a presentation.
Then, once you have people's attention, they have to be able
to access your services.
Your clients may have learning, visual, hearing, speech,
or mobility impairments.
Taking steps to make sure your facilities, services,
and resources are welcoming and accessible to individuals
with a broad range
of characteristics is an application
of the principles of universal design.
For example:
[Narrator] Using electronic formats may help make your
materials more accessible,
but there are challenges there as well.
For people who are blind, critical information presented
as graphics must be duplicated in a text format to be readable
by speech output software.
[Computer] At first,
the quaternions were regarded as pathological.
[Narrator] And for students who are deaf,
audio information must be captioned or transcribed.
The important thing is to plan ahead,
to know how to produce materials
in alternative formats before someone needs them.
Be prepared to produce them quickly when asked.
[Dyane] What is essential is that you do know how to go
about getting those accommodations in place
in a timely manner when they're requested.
And a real good resource for that,
for the Career Services Office,
is the Disabled Student Services Office.
They can contact that office any time
and they'll help them figure out how to fulfill
that requested accommodation.
[Narrator] And then think about how you can work effectively
with a person who has a disability.
Here are some tips for success:
[Dyane] When a student with a disability goes to any office
on campus, but certainly the Center for Career Services,
you'd want to treat them like you would any other student,
provide them with the same services
as you would any other student,
have the same expectations as any other student.
However, if the student has disability-related needs,
you'd certainly want to consider them
as you provide them the service and respond accordingly.
[Interviewer] Can you give me an example of how,
when you're working with the Big Brothers & Sisters,
if there was a conflict between two of the children,
how did you resolve it?
[Narrator] Events outside your office need
to be accessible, too.
These may include interviewing workshops like this one,
career fairs, and interviews between students and employers.
[Interviewer] What kind of a background do you have
that gets you interested in robotics?
[Dyane] The Center for Career Services Office is responsible
for providing any kind of requested accommodations
that a student asks for, but it is the student's responsibility
to request the accommodation, because the Center
for Career Services folks won't know what the student is needing
unless the student asks.
[Narrator] In advertising your event,
include a notice indicating who to contact
to request disability-related accommodations.
Some requests might include:
[Narrator] For its own events,
the Career Center would provide the accommodations.
For employer interviews, even on campus, it's different.
[Vic] The employer would provide the accommodations.
In fact, we have had employers in the past
who have interviewed students in our offices here,
if it's for their business,
we let them know what the opportunities are on campus
to provide, say, an interpreter.
They have the option to take advantage of that,
or they can bring their own interpreter.
But they would be the ones who would cover the cost.
[Student] What should I be doing?
[counselor] Well, it's just recognizing, first of all,
that the transferrable kinds of skills?
[Narrator] You can work with students on how and when
to present those accommodation needs.
However, if you want to talk to an employer
about a specific student's disability,
get written permission from the student first.
[Vic] Employers are looking for skilled people.
Whether they have disabilities or not, if people come
across to them as someone who has strengths and abilities
that will benefit their business,
that's what they care about.
They want people who are skilled.
And if a student gets that across they're halfway there.
[Narrator] The disability itself isn't supposed
to be part of the job interview.
Accommodations should be discussed
after an offer of employment.
But for students with obvious disabilities,
this timing doesn't always work.
It's an individual choice.
[Caller] Thanks, Todd.
Do appreciate it.
[Todd] You're welcome, man.
[Caller] Have a good afternoon
[Todd] You too, bud.
[Caller] Bye, bye [Todd] Bye bye.
[Narrator] At Todd Stabelfeldt's first interview,
it took a great flurry of activity,
including moving the Interviewer's desk,
to accommodate his wheelchair.
Then, the first thing they talked
about was Todd's disability.
Todd prefers to get the discussion
out of the way immediately.
[Todd] It's a good icebreaker.
People want to know.
This is obviously an attraction.
They're interested; they want to know as humans.
And so I find that it's real easy for me to talk about it.
I'll get it out in the open and get it over with,
and then we can move on with our conversation.
I don't mind, you know.
[Interviewer] It looks like you've done a lot of fundraising
with some non-profits.
Can you tell me about that?
[Applicant] Yes, I've handled many different tasks,
ranging from building and maintaining databases to --
[Narrator] Each situation and each student is different.
It's the individual's choice whether
to disclose a disability during the job interview.
Once a student has a job, accommodations may be necessary.
Work-based learning offers the opportunity
to determine what those accommodations might be,
and then to work with employers
to implement those accommodations.
[Todd] One, I obviously can't open the door.
So basically, you know, you can set up automatic doors off
of switches and things, so they set that up for my wheelchair,
and that's how I open the door at home and at the office.
And as far as computer working, it's real simple;
on-screen keyboard with sort of a stick mouse sip and puff,
you know, one puff single click, two puffs double click;
and that's what I use.
And then just a simple book stand and mouth wand
for magazine turning, paper turning.
And that's really it.
[Narrator] Companies are responsible
for providing reasonable accommodations
to their employees with disabilities.
In work-based learning placements, however, schools
and businesses should work together to determine
who will be financially responsible for accommodations.
To help students and employers choose reasonable
accommodations, you can use this four-step process:
[Dyane] Ultimately, the student
with the disability has the best knowledge
about what their needs are.
However, if students have not yet been in the workplace,
they may not have a good idea about what they need
and what's available to them.
[ Music ]
[Narrator] Finally, and most important,
have high expectations for students with disabilities.
Expect success.
More and more people with disabilities are going
to college, and you have the opportunity
to help them meet their career goals.
[ Music ]