I worked for a Fortune 500 company for about a year, in their Human Resources / Human Capital (I hate that expression) / Personnel office. I was doing IT work and didn't do any hiring except for the person to replace me when the time came for me to move on.
It was stunning to see how a pervasive discriminatory mindset worked in what should have been an open-minded and totally law-abiding setting.
Applicants with "obviously black" names (Tanisha and Shaquan are two I remember) were not considered for employment. If your name was Justin, Kate, Josh, Heather or something along those lines, you were considered for employment.
When the company moved into its huge new headquarters, the design was bad. Very, very bad. One woman in HR had multiple sclerosis. She used one forearm crutch and easily got around the older, smaller building. In the new building, she was unreasonably far away from accessible parking and, more importantly, a bathroom. The cafeteria was a hike even for AB me. She voiced her dismay to management.
The company response was to get her a scooter to use at work.
Although she knew it was pointless and didn't resist, her dismay deepened and she grudgingly used the scooter. I'm guessing she disliked being forced "down" to a scooter and in reality although it gave her distance, it did not give her greater maneuverability. Too bad.
I left that company and went to a much smaller company. My manager frequently handed me job reqs to review for the department. Three times, I pointed out to him that the job req's specification for being able to lift 25 pounds was not accurate and might be construed as blocking the way for someone with a disability. I have never in my IT career been forced to lift anything weighing more than five pounds. My manager was surprised and offended. "But we would make an accommodation," he said. And I knew that was a lie.
Last week, I had an interview at a very, very big company. I had been using crutches while my leg was on the mend and on that day, my leg still hurt. It didn't matter. I set them aside for the duration of the interview.
I wasn't prepared for the amount of walking I had to do. Up stairs. Down stairs. In my lady's office. By the time it was over, I was limping noticeably. When I got home, I settled on the couch with a pile of pillows under my leg. I stayed on the couch for the next two days and when I moved around, it was with the aid of crutches.
Imagine my non-surprise when I did not get the job.
1 comment:
I once worked for a large non profit. It was a part time gig and when I hired I asked where the bathroom was. There was no accessible bathroom on the floor I worked and I was told it would not be made accessible. I would need to use a bathroom on a different floor that required a long walk and the use of an elevator. Yet when hired the office where I worked was painted, a new desk brought in, book cases moved, computer station rearranged all to make my working environment more comfortable. Not a single one of these things was necessary. When my job ended I stated that I appreciated the nice office but a nearby accessible bathroom was what was really needed. My boss was not happy and stated "you are the only disabled person we would hire and making a bathroom accessible would be a waste of money. I am offended you would be so selfish to ask for such an unneccessary expense". This is what happens when people that know nothing about disability make decisions about what a "reasonable accommodation" is.
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