Panel of Computing Professionals with Disabilities
Panelists included Katie Sullivan, Microsoft; Sean Marihugh, Microsoft; Jessie Shulman, Expedia; and Joel Isaac, JP Morgan Chase.
How does your disability impact your education or career?
- My disabilities impacts the way I consume and output information. My learning disabilities make me process information differently than other people and I need more time to read email and other documents. I spend more time scheduling and making sure I have time to do these tasks.
- Through my transition from seeing to not seeing, I have learned that things in an electronic format are the best. I can lose information when people are speaking and pointing and referencing things in the room. I can鈥檛 lose information as easily if it鈥檚 electronic.
- I鈥檝e had issues with communication being deaf. I often have to prepare more before meetings, whether it is arranging for captions or an interpreter. I try to share the captioning or video experiences I have with the others I鈥檓 having a meeting with so we鈥檙e on the same page.
- I have to make sure things are always physically accessible; advanced notice is key to make these changes. I have to request my office is set up a certain way, travel is planned in advance, etc.
When did you choose to disclose your disability to your job?
- I鈥檓 on an accessibility team. I figured I didn鈥檛 need to disclose until I met them, because I knew they鈥檇 be welcoming. When I was scheduled for my last job, I was hired through the Federal Government鈥檚 Schedule A hiring system, which is non competitive, so I had to disclose my disability.
- Because I need an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, I disclose before the interview so they know what to expect and what to do when we鈥檙e in the interview.
- It鈥檚 very situational and depends on your disability. When you have an invisible disability, it鈥檚 often a more complicated question. If I鈥檓 talking to a recruiter, I probably won鈥檛 disclose. If I鈥檓 talking to the direct hiring manager, I usually will, since they have to directly work with me and my disability. I often try to weave my disability into the job I鈥檓 applying for and share how it helps with my job performance instead of hinders it.
- I usually disclose right when I鈥檓 hired so I can get the accommodations I need immediately, but it鈥檚 often on a case-by-case situation.
Have you had a negative issue with your disability and your employer?
- Since I have been progressively losing vision, I have had a hard time recognizing that I was changing or needing more accommodations. It took me six months to really admit to myself that my vision had changed. I had to start asking for help. I made it a negative experience for myself because I was worried about the stigma.
- I鈥檓 a terrible speller because of my disability, and I have a lot of anxiety about doing work in front of people and writing on the board. I鈥檝e been embarrassed in front of other people before in the workplace.
- Deaf people may have a lot of accommodations, and this can be really hard for impromptu events. I always felt like I was missing out on those quick hall conversations鈥攂ut I鈥檝e quickly learned that people are willing to actively find me to talk about things.
- People with mobility issues often get extra scrutiny about whether they can actually travel on the job.
What do you wish employers knew to better retain employees with disabilities?
- Employers should create employee resource groups for people with disabilities and learning about assistive technology options.
- Employers should be open to talking about accommodations and the things that can be done to keep me engaged in the job.
- Employers need to be aware of the whole process. If the recruiter doesn鈥檛 know there are resources for people with disabilities, they won鈥檛 be as welcoming to people with disabilities.
- I was able to participate in a lot of internships in college that helped me test out my skills and the things I had learn and the tools I needed in the workplace. This really helped me know what jobs were right for me and what I needed once I got there.
- Schedule A and special inclusive hiring processes need to be well understood and employers need to know how to articulate these practices.
- Employers should break down workplace stigma about disabilities. Even before hiring a person with a disability, have differences in employee strengths and weaknesses and accommodations talked about in the workplace.
How do you feel about employers asking if you have a disability on applications? What is the ideal response to receive when you disclose?
- If employees are aware you鈥檙e looking for people with disabilities, they鈥檙e more willing to disclose and start that discussion鈥攊t鈥檚 all about how you explain how the information will be used.
- I am often turned off by that question because there鈥檚 always a huge disclaimer. It seems like a negative question, so I never want to answer.
- Do I make myself look like a