I think that disclosing my blindness before I get to the interview gives them some time to come up with questions in stead of expecting them to come up with those questions on the spot. Part of my objective during the interview is to sell myself. If the interviewers have some time to consider challenges I might face in the position and formulate questions, then they feel more comfortable. If I expect them to come up with the questions on the spot, then they typically feel pressured, and that detracts from my ability to sell myself and demonstrate how easy me being on the team would be. I've found that people want someone that will fit in as well as all of the other things mentioned. Blindness is unknown, and unknown things invoke a certain amount of fear/discomfort. That's part of why I was asking for advice on how to find companies that tend to be more accepting. I too had a guide dog. I found that he often served as an ice breaker. It gave everyone a chance to focus on something other than the complications of the process. then the conversation went smoother, and I had a chance to build a rapport. On 05/22/2014 9:29 AM, vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca wrote:
I struggle with the issue of to disclose or not to disclose. I understand that the questions must be the same. However where I struggle is if I walk into an interview with my guide dog or mobility cane or if I use a wheelchair and no one on the panel asks questions about what I might require, then there might be cause for concern. Of course we shouldn't talk about what I use as my mobility aid at the beginning, because the interview shouldn't be about my disability.
If people on the panel at the end ask leading questions like what will your guide dog need during the day or I see you are using a wheelchair did you want to see the photocopy area to let us know if we need to move anything about, demonstrates a high degree of acceptance. Then again there is a responsibility on my part to mention that I might require some adaptive software or ask if it is OK for me to put some Braille labels on some of the equipment I am required to administer.
I will apologise now if my example of using a wheelchair is a bit off the mark; I don't use one, however I do use a guide dog.
I have been fortunate in that a lot of the time I have been working by myself. This has forced me to be creative when working with hardware. For example when I need to put equipment on racks, I use packing material to support the server, router, UPS etc. This allows me to line up the holes used to secure the device to the rack. And with the softer chunks of packing material, I can push down to move the holes so they line up correctly.
A few months back I had the luxury of going to a site to remove and install equipment with another person. We never worked together and we had to remove and put in new UPS devices. We talked about our working environments and he asked what it is like working by myself for the most part. I told him about having to become creative in solving some challenges. Then I showed him how much easier it is to install a UPS by removing the batteries first then putting them in once the chassis is secured to the rack. Up until then he always worked with two other people and he always had the good fortune of having two people hold the device while the third connected the bolts.
In a few months I am moving to a new location working with a new group. I am looking forward to being part of a larger team again and having colleagues at the same location as me. I miss the day to day banter and bouncing ideas off of one another.
Vic Pereira Shared Services Canada/Integrated Network Services | Services partagés Canada/Services Intégrés de Réseau 400-400 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4K5
vic.pereira@ssc-spc.gc.ca 204-983-0653
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list Blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org http://lists.hodgsonfamily.org/listinfo/blind-sysadmins