Why won't employers employ disabled people?

Question

I have applied for countless jobs over the years and had no end of excuses as to why they won't employ me. apparently I am a fire risk, a health and safety risk and not classed as human.

Why won't employers even consider employing disabled people?

Can anyone help me with a covering letter that might put their minds at ease?

I feel so frustrated that I want to say the following, but I am sure this would put them off even more.

Dear Sir,

I wish to apply for the position of (your job) as advertised on (website)

Although I am not in work at the moment, I can assure you that I am a very motivated and enthusiastic person and have lots of skills to offer to an employer who is brave enough to employ a disabled person. I can assure you that I am not your stereotypical disabled person who has a low IQ (I often score in the region of 140 in IQ tests) and I would welcome the opportunity to show you how valuable I would be as an employee of your company if you saw fit to give me a chance to prove myself.

I look forward with interest to hearing from you.

Answer 1

I feel your pain. I, too, am a disabled person who has a brain dysfunction. I was once told by a local university professor and genomics lab director that he would never hire me with my history of brain dysfunction. I cried. Then I decided that someday, good Lord willing, I might just come back and end up being his boss... and that I was not going to let him crush my sense of self-worth. Since then, I have found two secrets to getting a job if you are disabled:

1) You are not required to disclose your disability in your resume. I have found that waiting until I get a face-to-face personal interview is the way to go. And if you don't mention disability in your resume, you can know for sure that they did not discriminate at that step of the process. After that, there are laws that protect your rights. There is (it looks like, and I hope...) some good advice at this Web site: http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5961530

2) The U.S. Government is very committed to hiring people with disabilities. That is in part, how I got my current job. I had no idea they even would consider hiring me. But they were glad I came along, and they fit me into a decent-paying job at which I excel, but where I can have the accomodations I need. (Many large corporations do a lot of hiring of people with disabilities too.)

Note: I have seen a couple of responses that may or may not have been from the United States. I am from Georgia in the United States, and in Georgia, there is additional disability law above and beyond that set for the entire country. Check into the laws of your particular state, because you may find that some states are more disability-friendly than others. I have heard that Florida is extremely disability-friendly, but I do not know their laws, you would have to check into that. And regardless of what has been said about employers not having to hire people with disabilities, many do. Seek those out. I hope you will find them soon.

In the meantime, have you considered looking into grant money for work? I have a friend who works for the Institute on Human Development and Disability. She works with a program called "Jobs for All" which is a government-funded program to help people with substantial disabilities in Georgia to secure employment, if I recall correctly. Here is a Web page about that program: http://www.uga.edu/columns/030331/news1.html
(Note that the program is only for Georgia residents, as far as I know.) I would recommend checking into whether there is a program like this in your state. Sometimes finding a program like this might be difficult, but once you find it, wow what a program! If you have trouble locating such a program, check with your local Department of Labor and see if they know of such a thing.

I hope you will have better results in your next job search! All my best to you. God bless you.

Answer 2

Hi, You have not mentioned the type of disability that you have - BUT no matter what an employer can not refuse you employment because you are disabled. My Husband is Hearing Impaired and has had a full Knee replacement (to some employers this is a major disability - trust me!)- people did not want to employ him because he would be a danger to himself/ would not be able to cope with walking/ bending - you name it - BUT he is now fully employed and has been promoted to team leader - so there are companies out there that will take people with disabilities - As you have a high IQ - you would most likely be well suited to a marketing / research job - you are obviously Computer literate so this is a major advantage. On your CV emphasise your strong points - you do not have to mention that you are disabled at that stage - once you are at the interview this will come up but by then you should have wowed them already with your personality : The other option is to advertise your skills in the web site below - there are employers that are responsible and will employ you - I used to work for a company where we had an average of 15% of the work force as being disabled (i.e 100 staff in all dept of manufacturing) - it was great fun!

Answer 3

I think by Law you are not allowed to discriminate against being disabled.
Might be worth finding out through Remploy exactly where you stand legally also they might be able to offer advise.

My own theory is people are scared of what they think is not normal and to me this is sheer ignorance no matter what someone looks like we are all the same,though some people think otherwise.

As for a covering letter you could do that easily and should not feel you need to put any future employer at ease, you will sell yourself if your confident can put across that your disability has nothing that will stop you doing a good job (probably better than a lot of people)
Keep trying as you have been so far and do not get despondent

Good Luck.

Answer 4

I think you should target large companies with at least 200 employees working there. Those kind of organisations are much more accommodating to disabled people. I must admit, wherever I've worked before, I have not seen a disabled person working there, although all the arrangements have been installed for a wheelchair user. I only worked for 4 large companies before. Don't bother whit small companies because they probably won't have the necessary arrangements to have you so, they will just turn you away, saying that you were not suitable for the position. I suggest you persevere and keep applying for positions within large companies. I'm sure somebody will give you a good job. As for your very witty covering letter... well... I wouldn't send it because it may suggest that you think your potential employer is a bully.

Answer 5

Hello,

(ANS) First of all I have to say I can really sympathise with your feelings of utter frustration at employers. Sadly, if you want the real truth about many employers (or potential employers) it is that they are biased against disabled people for a whole host of reasons some of these reasons are mad, sad, or just bad.

Many of these reasons are just a total non sense!! they are unreasonable excuses, or are just irrational, or are based on some kind of fear because they have never actually employed a disabled person before.

**I think your covering letter needs to be written from the point of view of what you personally have to offer, what qualities, what personal skills or atributes you have. Why? you think you would enjoy working for this company and so on.

**Try to write this letter NOT from the stand point of being a disabled person but as if you were no different from anyone else. Why? because if you write a letter from the stand point of being disabled first & foremost then that will put off any potential employer sraight away. No! write your letter NOT stressing your disabled but what you are able to offer to them as a person.

**Whats VERY important here is that you DONT write this letter from your feelings of frustration, from a sense of desperation, or from anger. Why? because those feelings will come across in the way you word the letter, talk about yourself,etc, such things will give an automatically negative image of you as a person.

**In this letter you need to make what I call "benefit statements" about yourself. Talk about the positive things you done or know about, put a positive spin on your wording and how you talk in the letter.

IR

Answer 6

Lots of employers tend to look upon a disabled person as a liability, when in most cases they can be an asset.

Although not disabled myself, I know some friends who are, and they have been through the same problems as you.

It is illegal in the UK to discriminate against disabled people, providing the disability does not interfere with their work.

Also, I understand that employers tend to look on disabled people as needing special needs, when all they want is to work as part of a team, and be treated just like any other employee.

If you are able to do the job, you no longer become disabled, and should have equal opportunities to work.

May I wish you all the best, and keep on trying.
Something will turn up for you I'm sure.

As for a covering letter, concentrate on your abilities, as these are the most important, and that you are able to do the job for which you are applying for.

Good luck, take care.

Answer 7

I didn't think employer's would be allowed to do that in this day and age. However this does go on. Think it'd be hard to prove that they didn't give you the job because of a disability. I'm not an employer and by no means close to an expert but I thought they had to pick the best person for the job so to speak (maybe naive on my part). My opinion if you do the job what does it matter if you have a disability. Some of my friends have disabilities and they are fab but have came upon this issue.
I wish you every success in you job hunt and just remember that it's their lose. (no consolation but it is!!)

Answer 8

Personally I wouldn't mention it until you are called to interview, as realistically as long as they have disabled access it should make no difference to them. Then at the interview I would make a point of saying that you are aware that companies have problems with employing disabled people and ask them out right if your disability causes them any concern/problems? Secondly I would then ask them what percentage of their employees have disabilities, and how many employees the company has and if they have a practised equal opportunities policy.
I know of someone who got called to second interview purely by pointing out they were the only woman applying for the job, therefore it would only be equal opportunities if she were called up for stage two, (company were so impressed with brass neck, she got the job!). I would try and take the confrontation approach not in an aggressive way but in a cut the crap way. After the interview keep in touch with the HR dept to find out if you've been successful, and if not ask them for feedback why. If you disagree with their feedback say so, never be afraid to ask out right is this because I'm disabled?
The only other advice would be apply for jobs in bigger companies rather than small ones. as the bigger companies are more likely to already have existing staff with disabilities, and small businesses make heir own rules up!

Answer 9

Despite an earlier answer, Firms do not have to employ disabled people. There used to be 'Quota's' where employers had to employ a percentage of disabled people (it used to be 3%).
This was stopped in the 1990's when William Hague changed the law to read that employers 'should strive to integrate disabled workers into the work place'. Effectively this means that they are not legally required to do anything.

When looking for jobs at the job centre, look for the 'positive about disability' symbol, these employers guarantee interviews for anyone who ticks the disability box on an application form.

There are also several organisations that specialise in helping disabled people into employment.

Answer 10

Hi Foot, First make the picture clear.
Let say, you want to buy a car / bike / hifi / mp3 player...etc.. Do just gab and go? No right. You ask for the spec. right!
Same goes to you, when you apply for a job. You need to have a resume, to promote yourself? How do I know that I am getting a right guy for the right job. You have to make known of your capabilities. For disable person surely there some inconvenience when coming to working place. Hope you can understand that. If I got someone on wheel that my working place got to have bigger passage way for him/her? May be you can consider finding job like receipt / telephone operator or computer related work where there is not much of movement. Home base works will more suitable. Show us you are a CITROEN that goes can even go on 3 wheels! Prepare a good resume and GOOD LUCK!