[Jobs] Ideas for seminar at NFB convention

[Gail Snider]

One way to deal with the driver's license issue is to try to contact someone in HR on the phone and ask them how much driving is essential for this job.  That gives them a chance to clarify why they asked for a driver's license in the first place.  If any percentage of driving is essential, then we know the job isn't for us.

-----Original Message-----
From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dick Davis
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:37 AM
To: 'Jobs for the Blind'
Subject: [Jobs] Ideas for seminar at NFB convention

Hi guys,



You're a smart bunch so I thought I'd get your ideas on this.  The Employment Committee of the NFB is going to put on a seminar at the national convention.  Below is the description of the agenda item that I sent to the committee chair.  Since she agreed to the item, I have some questions for all of you.  But read the description first:



New Challenges for Blind Jobseekers



The requirement that a person possess a valid driver's license is showing up in more and more job listings.  That would be reasonable if a position provided transportation to others, such as bus driver, van driver, etc.  But most of them don't have that as a primary job function.  Some blind job applicants, seeing the requirement, have decided not to apply.



Why is there an upsurge in job descriptions with this requirement?  Is it because the employee might need to use a company car from time to time?  Or is it that a driver's license is a good form of identification?  Since no blind person can get a valid driver's license, doesn't such a requirement discriminate against blind people as a class?



What strategies should blind jobseekers use in dealing with this requirement?  Has anyone dealt with it before?  Are there approaches that have proven successful?  Should we try on the state or national level to get this requirement stricken, or reworded in a nondiscriminatory way?



Do any of you have answers to the above questions?  Do you have any suggestions for the seminar, such as whether or not we should have a panel, talk directly with the audience, or both?  If so, please e-mail them to me at ddavis at blindinc.org, or call me at 612-872-0100 or 800-597-9558.  I probably won't answer if I'm teaching a class, so leave me a message and I'll get back to you.



Since I originally wrote this, I've had a call from one jobseeker that's seen the following questions on a job application (I haven't seen the application forms yet, so this is a rough paraphrase):



Do you have any physical or mental challenges?

If so, what reasonable accommodations do you need to do the job?



Yes, these really are actual questions.  The job seeker has seen them more than once.  Yes, I know they're illegal, and I intend to do something about them, but first, I wanted to know if any of you have seen them on job applications too.  If so, I intend to add them to the agenda item and discuss them.



You can see why I thought this would be a good agenda item.



Dick Davis

Assistant Director for Employment

BLIND, Inc.

ddavis at blindinc.org

612-872-0100