Awesome visually impaired guy looking for a job in Toronto/GTA. Help?
September 17, 2015 8:33 AM Subscribe
Looking for any job hunting resources for the legally blind/visually impaired, on behalf of my husband in Ontario (specifically GTA).
Hi everyone,
My husband left his job 2 months ago. He had worked there for 7 years, but some change ups had made it extremely stressful for him, and so we decided he should quit. He had been looking for the couple months leading up to the quit, but wasn't able to find anything. It got to the point that he wasn't sleeping, was miserable. He has some savings (15k-ish), and so he quit his job.
Since then he has been applying to positions 9am-5pm every day. A couple interviews, but nothing has come of it. We know this is how it goes.
He has applied for ODSP job supports, but we haven't heard anything back from them. And we aren't completely sure what they could do for him, anyway.
So basically, at this point, we aren't sure if there is anything else we can do that might help in his search. Does there exist a list somewhere of companies who actively hire people with disabilities? He is a CNIB member, but they were not able to offer much support in this instance (though they are otherwise great).
Anyone have any tips? Relevant information below;
- He is 48 years old. He has a degree from UWO in Politcal Science.
- His work experience is almost all call centre stuff. He is hoping to get away from this, but would settle for a call centre that isn't sales focused (they seem to exist, but are rare).
- He does not drive for obvious reasons
- He can use computers just fine using a magnifier (ZoomText), but will require more time to read any given text than your average non impaired person (obviously).
- He discloses in his cover letter that he is visually impaired. We go back on forth about this. He feels as though he is tricking employers or being deceitful by not mentioning it.
Thanks very much for any insight!
Hi everyone,
My husband left his job 2 months ago. He had worked there for 7 years, but some change ups had made it extremely stressful for him, and so we decided he should quit. He had been looking for the couple months leading up to the quit, but wasn't able to find anything. It got to the point that he wasn't sleeping, was miserable. He has some savings (15k-ish), and so he quit his job.
Since then he has been applying to positions 9am-5pm every day. A couple interviews, but nothing has come of it. We know this is how it goes.
He has applied for ODSP job supports, but we haven't heard anything back from them. And we aren't completely sure what they could do for him, anyway.
So basically, at this point, we aren't sure if there is anything else we can do that might help in his search. Does there exist a list somewhere of companies who actively hire people with disabilities? He is a CNIB member, but they were not able to offer much support in this instance (though they are otherwise great).
Anyone have any tips? Relevant information below;
- He is 48 years old. He has a degree from UWO in Politcal Science.
- His work experience is almost all call centre stuff. He is hoping to get away from this, but would settle for a call centre that isn't sales focused (they seem to exist, but are rare).
- He does not drive for obvious reasons
- He can use computers just fine using a magnifier (ZoomText), but will require more time to read any given text than your average non impaired person (obviously).
- He discloses in his cover letter that he is visually impaired. We go back on forth about this. He feels as though he is tricking employers or being deceitful by not mentioning it.
Thanks very much for any insight!
Best answer: I'm American so take this with a grain of salt but as someone who also is visually impaired, I never ever ever mention it in a cover letter. You're giving them a reason to reject you before they know your strengths. The purpose of applying is to show off how you would benefit them - once you get to the interview stage it's more of a back-and-forth for best fit for both of you, but you have to at least make it there.
I'm not hiding, I'm just leaving out details that will cause a negative first impression, so that they can meet me and see everything I bring to the table. In an ideal world, sure, people wouldn't judge and then act on that judgment, but we do not live in an ideal world. You don't want to throw away a good opportunity because of a 5 second judgment that you would be too much work.
posted by Aranquis at 9:17 AM on September 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'm not hiding, I'm just leaving out details that will cause a negative first impression, so that they can meet me and see everything I bring to the table. In an ideal world, sure, people wouldn't judge and then act on that judgment, but we do not live in an ideal world. You don't want to throw away a good opportunity because of a 5 second judgment that you would be too much work.
posted by Aranquis at 9:17 AM on September 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Here's some ethical, and truthful, salve: a cover letter should focus on the 1) most important qualities of yourself, and 2) the most important things you can do for the company. Is your husband's blindness either of these?
posted by amtho at 9:43 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:43 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My husband is blind and we live in Toronto.
He feels as though he is tricking employers or being deceitful by not mentioning it.
He is not.
Yeah, what Aranquis said.
My husband doesn't disclose his blindness when applying for jobs. He'd rather have this discussion once his foot is in the door for an interview and they're sufficiently impressed by his qualifications to take the time to interview him. Sometimes it takes the form of a discussion with HR when an interview is being scheduled (or if there's some kind of testing component related to the job). When and how to disclose seems like it might be a little more nuanced in your husband's case - mine shows up with a cane, so that's sometimes the moment of disclosure. But by that point, he's been able to navigate their application process and find his way to their office under his own steam, so...
But in broad strokes - leave it out. He should let his qualifications do the talking out of the gate.
Does there exist a list somewhere of companies who actively hire people with disabilities?
Off the top of my head, don't really know. I'll raise this chez nous, and I'll post more answers later.
That said, in terms of major employers in the GTA, oddly enough, I'd suggest starting with the banks. They have a lot of non-sales call centre and call centre-related jobs. Unless one of them is what he's leaving behind.
Having worked for the banks at various points, and knowing various people with disabilities who have or do work for some of them, I can say that in terms of Canadian employers they're fairly good at accommodation.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:44 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
He feels as though he is tricking employers or being deceitful by not mentioning it.
He is not.
Yeah, what Aranquis said.
My husband doesn't disclose his blindness when applying for jobs. He'd rather have this discussion once his foot is in the door for an interview and they're sufficiently impressed by his qualifications to take the time to interview him. Sometimes it takes the form of a discussion with HR when an interview is being scheduled (or if there's some kind of testing component related to the job). When and how to disclose seems like it might be a little more nuanced in your husband's case - mine shows up with a cane, so that's sometimes the moment of disclosure. But by that point, he's been able to navigate their application process and find his way to their office under his own steam, so...
But in broad strokes - leave it out. He should let his qualifications do the talking out of the gate.
Does there exist a list somewhere of companies who actively hire people with disabilities?
Off the top of my head, don't really know. I'll raise this chez nous, and I'll post more answers later.
That said, in terms of major employers in the GTA, oddly enough, I'd suggest starting with the banks. They have a lot of non-sales call centre and call centre-related jobs. Unless one of them is what he's leaving behind.
Having worked for the banks at various points, and knowing various people with disabilities who have or do work for some of them, I can say that in terms of Canadian employers they're fairly good at accommodation.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:44 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I agree with what Aranquis and mandolin conspiracy are saying. I am severely hard of hearing and I don't mention it until the interview. I do mention it in the interview as I lipread and this is important to know -- especially if it's a panel.
posted by Lescha at 10:07 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Lescha at 10:07 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone, going forward he's going to remove that disclosure from his cover letter. All your points make sense.
posted by heavenstobetsy at 11:29 AM on September 17, 2015
posted by heavenstobetsy at 11:29 AM on September 17, 2015
Best answer: Fourthing the commenters who suggest that your husband leave his visual impairment out of the cover letter.
I'm visually impaired. Most of the people I've met had never met a blind/VI person before. Many of them were concerned about not saying or doing anything insensitive. They're in kind of a tough position. What they know about blindness is often a cobbled-together set of images and ideas from media and popular culture. They've heard of Ray Charles and Helen Keller. They have a rough idea of what Braille is. They know that Guide Dogs and canes are things.
It's a narrow, shallow knowledge-base, and much of what it gives people isn't very helpful to them. Biopics about famous blind people, the occasional blind character on a TV show, and the odd news story about a blind/VI mountaineer/marathoner/etc. are about it. It's great that that information is out there, but it doesn't help someone imagine how a blind/VI person gets to and from work, uses the existing office equipment, or communicates with (and relates to) their sighted peers.
Most people are anxious not to say or do anything insensitive. Factor in HR policies and potential legal issues, and prospective employers may be that much more nervous. If you disclose your disability in your cover letter, you risk shifting the reader's focus from what you can bring to the job to whether you should be considered for the job despite your disability. Why leave the answer to that question up to someone who very likely lacks the skills and experience to answer it? You know your assistive technology, adaptive aids and blindness skills. You should have the opportunity to explain them in an interview (if necessary).
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 12:25 PM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm visually impaired. Most of the people I've met had never met a blind/VI person before. Many of them were concerned about not saying or doing anything insensitive. They're in kind of a tough position. What they know about blindness is often a cobbled-together set of images and ideas from media and popular culture. They've heard of Ray Charles and Helen Keller. They have a rough idea of what Braille is. They know that Guide Dogs and canes are things.
It's a narrow, shallow knowledge-base, and much of what it gives people isn't very helpful to them. Biopics about famous blind people, the occasional blind character on a TV show, and the odd news story about a blind/VI mountaineer/marathoner/etc. are about it. It's great that that information is out there, but it doesn't help someone imagine how a blind/VI person gets to and from work, uses the existing office equipment, or communicates with (and relates to) their sighted peers.
Most people are anxious not to say or do anything insensitive. Factor in HR policies and potential legal issues, and prospective employers may be that much more nervous. If you disclose your disability in your cover letter, you risk shifting the reader's focus from what you can bring to the job to whether you should be considered for the job despite your disability. Why leave the answer to that question up to someone who very likely lacks the skills and experience to answer it? You know your assistive technology, adaptive aids and blindness skills. You should have the opportunity to explain them in an interview (if necessary).
posted by Flipping_Hades_Terwilliger at 12:25 PM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: As far as non-sales call center work goes, he might try either Research Dimensions or Logit in Toronto. They're market research-based, and might be either a good in-between thing for him during his search, or a good permanent option.
This job probably isn't what he's ideally looking for, but at least it's not sales based.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 1:00 PM on September 17, 2015
This job probably isn't what he's ideally looking for, but at least it's not sales based.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 1:00 PM on September 17, 2015
Best answer: He should be focusing on Gov't (municipal/provincial) positions as they are most accommodating - many ads specifically ask that HR be proactively be approached so that any necessary accommodations can be made confidentially. Good luck!
posted by saucysault at 1:53 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by saucysault at 1:53 PM on September 17, 2015
Best answer: I think metro hall has a job search centre - at least it used to... (King and John)
posted by treadstone11 at 4:50 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by treadstone11 at 4:50 PM on September 17, 2015
Best answer: So I've run this by my resident expert. He strongly recommends two services:
JOIN and March of Dimes employment support.
He's used the latter but not the former - however, JOIN is well-regarded.
Both of these services can hook him up with job developers. The developer's role is to provide support around resume/cover letter development and interview skills. But they also provide support around head hunting and direct people to postings that match their skills and qualifications.
Good luck to your awesome guy.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:19 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
JOIN and March of Dimes employment support.
He's used the latter but not the former - however, JOIN is well-regarded.
Both of these services can hook him up with job developers. The developer's role is to provide support around resume/cover letter development and interview skills. But they also provide support around head hunting and direct people to postings that match their skills and qualifications.
Good luck to your awesome guy.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:19 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by heavenstobetsy at 8:34 AM on September 17, 2015