Review Records Before The Interview
Prior to your interview, it is important to invest some time in compiling medical records that you have that could assist your benefits application. Examples of relevant medical records and documents include:
- Letters from your doctor, or doctors concerning your condition
- Medical records related to treatment visits
- Hospitalization records and/or
- Testing records
- If you are applying for Social Security Disability, make sure to review your application for Disability Insurance Benefits
Two: Write A Cover Letter
A cover letter is used to introduce you to the perspective employer. It should briefly identify who you are and why you are applying for the position. It also should invite the employer to contact you for an interview. Be sure to enclose a copy of your resume with this letter.
A cover letter also gives you your first opportunity to disclose your disability. This would be to your advantage if:
You are applying for a job with a state or federal agency that must comply with affirmative action policies
The job you are applying for directly relates to your experience as a person with a disability such as a rehabilitation counselor or
Having a disability is a qualification for the position.
For example, a job as an addictions counselor may require that an individual be a recovering alcoholic.
Decide If You Actually Want To Disclose It
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the law says that you can disclose or not disclose at any time, explains Claudia Center, senior staff attorney with the national ACLU disability rights program. Most people do not disclose during the application process itself. But some will because they want to know upfront if the company will be accepting and supportiveor not. Some people do because theyve had bad experiences in the past and they just want to be open and just throw it all out there, Center says. Or some people might have disability pride, like, I’m proud of who I am as a person with a disability.
Potential employers are not allowed to ask you specific medical questions, get into anything designed to elicit medical information, or make inquiries about a potential disability during an interview. They cant ask what medications youre on or how many days you missed on your last job because of workers comp claims.
Gabi DeLorenzo, who is on her feet eight hours a day working at a truck stop, decided to tell her employer everything about her psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disease, at her interview so there would be no surprises if she got the job. Luckily, her boss was immediately supportive. I was hired on the spot and came back the same day for training.
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Eqa Claim If Pick And Choose Between Disabled People
An employer is not legally required to meet the commitments of the Disability Confident scheme. However, it is arguable that it would be unlawful direct discrimination contrary to the Equality Act if the employer offers disabled people a guaranteed interview for a particular post, but refuses to give an interview to a particular disabled person who meets the minimum criteria for the job.
An employer states that disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a job are guaranteed an interview. However it refuses an interview to a person with a stammer who meets the minimum criteria , perhaps because it does not see a stammer as a proper disability. However, it gives a guaranteed interview to someone in a wheelchair or a blind person, or would give such a person a guaranteed interview if they applied for the job. This may be unlawful as direct discrimination.
It is not direct discrimination to treat disabled people generally more favourably than non-disabled. However, it may be direct discrimination to treat some disabled people more favourably than other disabled people. Hence the possible claim in this situation. For more, see Can a disabled person be treated more favourably?> May be direct discrimination to prefer one disability over another.
Difference Between Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits And Supplemental Security Income Benefits
The SSA runs both programs, and the medical requirements are the same for both, although the two programs are very different.
Social Security will pay SSDI benefits to you and sometimes to members of your family if you qualify medically and have worked either for a business or yourself and paid Social Security taxes. Under the SSA requirement, you earn one credit for each $1,320 of wages. You need to have earned 40 credits, 20 of which must have come in the last 10 years. Younger disabled workers require fewer credits.
SSI provides benefits that are based on financial need, which is the best bet for anyone who has not earned enough credits or paid enough in Social Security taxes to qualify for SSDI. A means test is involved in determining eligibility:
- You cannot have more than $2,000 in assets individually or $3,000 in a couple.
- You need to be earning less than $1,180 per month.
We will explain more about the information that is needed for the SSDI interview and the SSI interview below. We will also tell you about the additional information that you need to produce during an SSI interview.
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What Ndis Funding Do I Have
If your NDIS plan doesnt include funding for Item X,Y,Z
theres no point in interviewing Support Workers for services X,Y,Z.
Before planning your Support Worker interview questions and reaching out to people, its important to double-check your NDIS plan all the ins and outs!
Be sure you have a clear understanding of the services your funding covers.
The NDIS website has lots of info about supports funded by the NDIS.
Remember, the NDIS likely wont fund support if its:
- Not related to a Participants disability
- Relates to normal day-to-day living costs
- Likely to be a safety risk to the Participant or others
- A service delivered by another system such as Medicare.
Tip Check your list to ensure your NDIS funds cover them.
You can also learn options and ideas about how to spend your NDIS funding and for ideas about services, check out this page for NDIS Participants info.
F Specific Concerns Based On Individual Code Grounds
i) Age:
Under subsection 24 of the Code, questions about age are allowed if the employer is a special service organization that serves a particular age group. Special service organizations are defined as religious, philanthropic, educational, fraternal or social in nature, serving mostly the interests of certain age groups. Employers can hire persons based on their age if age is a reasonable and bona fide job requirement.
Example: A youth group is hiring a social coordinator and the organization wishes to hire a person under age 25. The group may be able to do so, if it can show that this is a bona fide job requirement.
Even if an employer is not considered to be a “special service organization,” it can still make distinctions based on age if age is a reasonable and bona fide qualification because of the nature of the job. If so, then the exemption under subsection 24 of the Code may apply. No other questions or statements related to age are allowed.
- Do you think you can handle this job?
- It takes a person who is full of vim and vigour.”
- We are looking to rejuvenate the workforce.
ii) Citizenship:
Employers can ask if a person is legally entitled to work in Canada. Avoid asking for information on nationality, place of birth or ethnic origin, even if these are required by the organization responsible for licensing the applicants occupation. Other than three specific situations described below, employers cannot ask for information about citizenship.
iv) Creed/religion:
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Ada Q& a: Disability Rights And The Job Interview
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are both Civil Rights laws that protect people with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA protects persons from discrimination by private employers, public agencies and state and local government agencies. The Rehabilitation Act covers programs and services which receive federal money. This article will focus on the provisions in the law that protect people with disabilities in the job interview.
The ADA protects qualified persons from discrimination based on their disability. The Rehabilitation Act can help your son or daughter become qualified for work. It provides for direct services through the Division of Rehabilitation Services or Minnesota State Services for the Blind to people with disabilities to help persons become qualified for employment and placement services. If they are still in school, the Individualized Education Program team and the school counselor should help them in career planning. A rehabilitation counselor from DRS or SSB should be included in transition planning.
What Are Your Salary Expectations
Many consider this question to be a loaded gun dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced. Often times, an interviewee will start talking salary before theyve had an opportunity to illustrate their skill set and value making any sort of leverage valueless. Here, knowledge is power, as salary often comes down to negotiation. Do some research into your industry to establish base rates of pay based on seniority and demand but keep in mind your employer is hiring you for what they believe you are worth, and how much benefit they feel you will provide.
One relatively safe approach is simply asking the interviewer about the salary range. If you wish to avoid the question entirely, respond by saying that money isnt a key factor and your primary goal is to advance in your career.
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It Shows Confidence In Your Ability To Succeed
Theres that word again. Confidence. Lead the conversation by disclosing that your disability produced a character strength that is unparalleled in any of the other employees, and, thus, you’ll prove your immediate value should become part of the team. I remember one interview where I mentioned that my CP had rewarded me with a thick skin. Im rarely affected or discouraged by negative comments, difficult scenarios, or potentially unwelcoming environments. I explained, I even respond well to constructive criticism!
This admission actually worked in my favor, as the job I was applying for involved a tough Fortune 500-corporate environment, a position that meant overhauling the supply chain process it had been using for years and introducing an entirely new method to its employees. The organization was looking for a candidate who could persevere through challenging tasks and maintain her cool in stressful meetings and workplace situations. If you can find a way to link your disability with a strong work trait or characterizationMy ADHD has really helped me to think creatively about solving various types of scenariosyoull likely draw an impressive nod. You want to be remembered for your confidence and direct approach, not your inability to be candid and open in a first meeting.
C Offer And Provide Accommodation For The Interview Or Test
Employers must accommodate applicants needs related to Code grounds for any part of the interview or hiring process, including tests. The employer must provide appropriate accommodation subject to the test of undue hardship. See also Section IV-8 Meeting the accommodation needs of employees on the job for more information on the principles involved.
The Commission recommends that employers offer accommodation to all candidates who need it when inviting them for an interview or test. A person who needs accommodation to take part in an interview is responsible for advising of this need in enough detail, and co-operating in consultations to enable the employer to respond to the request before the interview or testing. There is no set formula for accommodation. Each person’s needs are unique and must be considered individually.
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Prepare For Your Disability Interview With These 6 Questions
Facing disability is always a very stressful time in someones life. According to the SSA, the risks of becoming disabled are increasing steadily, with about 1 in 4 of todays 20-year olds likely to become disabled by age 67. It is, therefore, crucial for you to understand the process of applying for disability benefits, as well as to be in a position to obtain the best assistance that you can get if you become disabled.
The SSA offers benefits to people with disabilities, as well as additional resources such as informational kits that contain more information about the application process. When you apply for disability benefits, SSA schedules an interview with you either in person or over the phone. The purpose of this interview is to collect as much information as possible about your condition so that a claims decision can be made on a later date.
Therefore, when preparing for your disability interview, it is important to have as much information as possible that is relevant to your situation. Most importantly, be prepared to answer the following questions regarding your situation:
How Likely Am I To Receive Disability Benefits
If you follow the instructions that we have set out above, your chances will be greatly improved. Yet even if you follow all our suggestions, the SSA will likely turn down your initial application. Remember, records show that only 30 to 35 percent of initial applications are approved. Aim for the following:
- Be patient.
- Do not get discouraged.
- Stay with your claim. Your chances of success improve with each step of the appeals process.
- Continue to keep and document your medical appointments. Just because you started a disability benefits claim, it does not mean it is time to stop your medical visits.
- Hire a lawyer. Remember that your chances of being successful triple when you hire a lawyer to help you with your claim and prepare you for the disability interview.
Currently, there are about 1.1 million Americans waiting to hear if their benefits claims have been approved. That is a lot of people, many of whom probably tried to negotiate the SSDI or SSI benefits thicket on their own.
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The Cost Of Staying Silent
Perhaps youve seen the little self-disclosure boxes on job application forms. Employers are prohibited from directly asking anything about your disability that puts the onus on the employee or applicant to educate the employer, said Eve Hill, a disability rights attorney. You can request the accommodations you may need and explain how you can best perform the job, but that can be as much a burden as an opportunity, she said.
In the best outcomes, you become the guide on how to do this well, Ms. Hill said. Thats an extra burden that people with disabilities bear.
Disclosure during the interview process can open up a world of support. Or, worst case, it can reveal an atmosphere in which you wouldnt feel comfortable working, anyway. And hiding a major part of yourself assuming you have that ability takes its own toll.
Disclosing a disability to an employer enables a person to live ones life authentically and be able to bring ones whole self to work, said Kathy Flaherty, executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project. Hiding a disability takes emotional energy that could be better spent elsewhere, like doing ones job.
After seven years, Ms. Guest Pryal left her position as a nontenure-track professor to become a full-time freelance writer and novelist, documenting her decision in a book, Life of the Mind Interrupted: Essays on Mental Health and Disability in Higher Education.
How To Prepare Evidence For An Ssa Interview Or Application
What should you take with you when you go in to your local Social Security Administration office for your initial disability interview? If you answer everything you are close to being correct. In a nutshell, SSA wants a complete picture of your medical history and your employment history.
To the extent you can gather the information discussed in this article, do so. But if you dont have time or are too ill to track down all the information requested, go to your interview anyway. You dont have to have everything in place before you get started in the process however, eventually you will have to produce the information required, so start thinking of ways to get help with the telephone calling and letter writing that you will need to do to obtain these records.
One of the best ways to keep all this information organized is to create a spreadsheet for each type of information. You can prepare it either by hand or using a spread sheet program like Excel. A spread sheet give you an at a glance view of what information you have and what you still need to get.
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What Is The Information I Need To Bring With Me To The Interview
You should bring the following items and information with you for an in-person interview, or have them handy if you are doing a phone interview:
- A government-issued picture ID.
- Your birth certificate .
- A complete list of your medical conditions, including information on when your conditions became disabling and the date you last worked. Please be as specific as possible. This list is also important in helping the SSA determine whether you have a disability that meets the requirements to receive benefits. Normally, that disability needs to fall within a list of impairments or for children and needs to be either terminal or projected to last at least a year. Partial disabilities will not be approved.
The Social Security representative hearing your claim will also need information on your:
- Children
- Income, if any
- Resources
- Military service, if any
If you are applying for SSI, you will need the above data as well as information on:
- Bank accounts
- Insurance policies
- Land you own
The SSA allows for the exclusion of one vehicle and the land you live on when you are applying for SSI benefits. However, any other vehicle or land will be applied to the resource limits mentioned above, which are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
