Posted on Apr 2, 2017
SGT Elizabeth Elliott
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SGT Elizabeth Elliott
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The intial question was should I tell an anticipated employer that I have a disability. Some have said yes some has said no. I have a spinal cord injury and i am afraid if I dont tell them, something may arise from the injury in the future. Then the employer may get mad or fire me. What I am currently dealing with is employers not wanting to hire me because of the injury
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CPL Beth Allsop
CPL Beth Allsop
7 y
Simply use the application on line to explain that with accommodations you are able to do the job as required.
As previously stated they cannot discriminate against you due to your disability but this is not something you need to bring up in the interview.
The company is required by law to make accommodations for you in order for you to be able to work. They are minor accommodations, and if the company doesn't make them, you may then Sue based on the Americans with disability act. Don't bring it up in the interview, it's none of their business until youre hired. Then let them know what you need in order to do the job. I would make certain to get a an offer letter from the company and have it signed by the company and yourself prior to starting the job. Please send me a message if you have additional questions. I have a degree in HR management. Once again they cannot discriminate against you, but if you give them reason to, they will not hire you.
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Emerald S
Emerald S
7 y
CPL Beth Allsop - can background health records effect people years later no matter if under disability or regular worker, also if someone becomes management should that person get their own health coverage . hr degree verse out in apparent normal workforce. just a query for the lady above whom posted.
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CPL Beth Allsop
CPL Beth Allsop
7 y
Emerald S.
I'm not quite sure I fully understand the question.
But here is my best guess at what you're asking. Some companies want you to accept their insurance so much so that if you have another policy, and deny the companies offer, they will fine you. In other cases such as where I work now it is not an issue for me to have insurance under my domestic partner rather than taking the companies insurance I work for because his policy is better.

Bottom line I have been laid off before due to high insurance costs for a company. When the layoff Analysis was distributed throughout the company, we took a look at the ages and the departments of the people being laid off, and could tell that everyone being laid off had a high insurance costs. Such as a person with a car accident, a person with a liver transplant, an individual that had six children, the list went on. So yes eventually a company can decide to "lay you off" for whatever reason they deem necessary.
But you also have to look at the size of the company you're going to work for, whether or not your insurance costs can be absorbed by that company without any major hit to the companies profits etc. there are basically a lot of things that come into play. My phone number is [login to see] . I am available in the evening between 9 PM and 10:30 PM CST, I could probably explain this a whole lot clearer over the phone with the back-and-forth question and answer session. But as I said previously, there is no reason for her to tell that company that she has a disability upfront.
There is also no such thing as a medical background check, they will simply see her costs of insurance based on their policy renewal.
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Emerald S
Emerald S
7 y
would an employer have to state job requirement ,and then as an employer see if those job requirements fit in with a person with a disability. some buildings have limited access for wheelchair usage which would also limit how one can move around a building thus harder for the employer to revamp their building. if you maybe required by law as noted above then employers may know that too and just not hire or word their job requirements . just trying to consider someone with spinal injury a lot of less compounding approaches to the workplace . thank you both above.
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Elizabeth - I'm sorry to hear about your SCI. Of course I guess the important question is how severe is it, and is it degenerating? I have non SCI spinal injuries that continue to degenerate, leaving me in untenable pain and on permanent disability. You look rather young to go out on permanent disability.

However, probably the paramount thing for you is to protect your spine so that your SCI doesn't leave you paralyzed if you aren't currently. So you would need to find work that won't risk further injury. I think, given the Federal Government push to hire (especially combat) disabled veterans, that Federal employment, such as at the VA might be the appropriate avenue. Then you can be up front about your SCI, and take a job that minimizes further risk to you.

If you would like to talk more, please pm me.
SGT Elizabeth Elliott
SGT Elizabeth Elliott
7 y
I can do that
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SGT David T.
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It all depends on the job. If it is a desk job and no physical tasks are indicated in the posting, then there is no reason to mention it. If later it becomes relevant then inform them and request a reasonable accommodation. There are certain things that will prompt an anxiety attack for me. Most of the time it isn't an issue because I can avoid it so I don't mention it. If it does come up that's when I inform management about it. Working for the federal government, they tend to be a little more accommodating than most civilian employers (so I hear), so its not much of an issue.
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