- Acknowledge and accept that you have a disability, and that you may need help overcoming certain obstacles as a result. This doesn't mean that you're lazy or less smart than anyone else, or that you're unworthy of employment. Your disability shouldn't be a source of shame, nor should you apologize for it. Quite the contrary: recognize your own success in handling challenges that most other people never have to face.
- Have a thorough knowledge of your disability, as well as its potential impact on your participation in an interview and/or ability to meet job requirements. Be very clear about the specific activities and tasks that may be difficult for you to perform.
- Develop a strong understanding of the ways in which these limitations can be reduced or eliminated. These are referred to as "accommodations." If special tools, equipment, or workplace changes are required, it's very helpful to know the approximate cost.
- Identify and take pride in your strengths and the value you offer as an employee. Any strategies that you've developed for managing your disability demonstrate problem-solving, planning, hard work, perseverance, and other personal traits that are highly valued in the workplace. And you undoubtedly have many additional skills and talents that are completely unrelated to your disability.
Also keep in mind that all workers are good in some areas while needing improvement in others, and adjust how they perform their job to compensate for their weaknesses. They use calendars and lists to stay organized, rely on calculators to perform computations, and schedule their day to make the best use of their peak energy levels.
Similarly, many employers try to create work environments that foster productivity, such as cubicles with partitions to minimize distractions, large computer monitors to reduce eye strain, and flexible work arrangements to help employees balance their responsibilities at work and at home. These employers recognize that it is in their best interest to help their entire workforce perform their jobs as well as possible.
Remember: You are a qualified job seeker who happens to have a disability, NOT a disabled job seeker. Be sure to acknowledge your whole self, both limitations and strengths, and avoid defining yourself by your disability. When you describe what you can offer an employer with poise and confidence, you make it easy for the interviewer to look past your disability to the value you can add to the organization.
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