Employment discrimination?

Question

I am curious if others feel I am being discriminated against. For the longest time I thought it was something else but now I am not sure.

I am a person who happens to be in a wheelchair, I have muscular dystrophy. I have a Bachelor's of Science in Public Administration graduated with a GPA of 3.388 worked for the Deparment of Defense in the summer of 2005 through a program for college students with disabilities. Was awarded the USMEPCOM coin of excellence, while working their exerpts from an essay I wrote were published in the MEPCOM magazine the messenger. I have many years of volunteer expirence with the MDA however since leaving the MEPS I have been unable to find a job. I send in my resume a place will call me I will come in for an interview and suddenly I am not qualified because I do not have enough expirience. If I tell the person over the phone I have a disability even before the interview they say well we just arnt sure you have the expirience. I need expirence to get a job

BTW their should be there and. I ran out of space the last sentence should be I am running into the catch 22 of needing a job to get expirience but needing expirence to get a job.

I am applying to entry level positions that list little to no experience required in the vacany announcement , however I am told that I do not have the experience even for these vacancies

Answer 1

In most parts of the US, the employment situation is such that employers can easily select from a pool of employees that are less likely to cause them 'problems'.

The perception is that employees with disabilities will cost them more in insurance, accomodations, etc., that the person with disabilities will be quick to cause trouble if they are upset, and that they will not fit in well with the exisiting group. There is also a perception that people with disabilities have other funding sources and options so will be OK.

If they have a dozen other good applicants, they will give the job to the person who will cause them the least discomfort- that has always been the rule and probably always will be the rule.

I wish I had better news for you, but unemployment for people with disabilities right now is terribly high and there is not a good silver lining in sight.

Answer 2

They are really probably telling you the truth- Especially if you are only just out of College- Years usually does equal experience when they are reviewing applications/ resumes. Regardless of your degree, sometimes you do have to begin as the low man on the totem pole.

Regardless of your handicap, or other discriminatory status; Regardless of your degree, usually positions even in local governments in a Public Adminstration capacity require you to be able to get out physically and do the job. Job sites, infrastructure, zoning, businesses...All places that in an ideal world would be accessible to the handicapped, are not necessarily so at the stage of development that you would be dealing with.

Sadly you are overeducated (and will probably be underpaid) if stuck in a desk job, as administrative/ legal/ public admin grads are everywhere.

I have been in Govt. for appx. 10 years in some capacity, and hae never heard of the publication you mentioned, and I wouldn't- If I didn't have to deal with the portion of the public that was disabled/ handicapped, so all the awards and honors may not mean a hill of beans to some company/ Govt. that needs you to be physically able to do the job- No discrimination there.

Would you apply for the position of garbage man if you knew you couldn't hang off the side of the truck and lift the cans?

Same idea.

Answer 3

I hate to be rude but you want honesty. You have a 3.3 GPA which is considered mediocore by most companies these days. I am a headhunter and not one of my clients would even consider interviewing someone with below a 3.5.

Additionally, you have no experience. You need to shoot fo lower entry level jobs. You may also want to seriously consider going back to school and getting your GPA way way up....at least to a 3.6 or higher

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Contact the ACLFDP i think thats what they call it.