10 Things to Remember about Physical Disabilities When You Interview and Hire
Yaomingxin Lu presents her research at the annual MAA-SIG Research on Undergraduate Mathematics Education meeting
By: Yaomingxin Lu, Deanna Haunsperger, @deannahmath, and Rachel Levy, @mathcirque
Going on a campus interview or starting a new job can be nerve-wracking enough, but for someone with a disability, there is an added level of stress regarding navigating, sometimes literally, the unknown. The goal of this post is to help Math Values readers become better interviewers and hosts of job applicants with physical disabilities. Please share with search committees and people organizing visits or accommodations.
Here are 10 tips for you to keep in mind if you interview or hire someone with a disability. Be aware that you may not know the person has a physical disability, and you can’t ask them to disclose.
Privacy. Respect their condition. Don’t ask. Let them tell you. Once they tell you, you can ask clarifying questions. They are job applicants or new colleagues like any others, but they just may need some accommodations.
Campus access. Make sure candidates will be able to get to the places they need to go. Check ahead of time to make sure there is an accessible way. If they will be making a presentation, make sure that they are able to get to the podium, especially in a tiered classroom or stage of an auditorium. Often backstage and lecture hall back doors are locked. If so, make sure the host has the key to the door.
Classroom setup. Different people have different needs for teaching, so explain the classroom set up in advance and ask if they need anything. For example, some will prefer document cameras or projectors while others will prefer to use a blackboard/whiteboard.
Transportation. Not all people with physical disabilities need special wheelchair transportation devices. Some will prefer a car with room in the trunk. Some will not want to use an SUV because they can be hard to enter. Some chairs will require a specialty van with a ramp or a car with a large enough storage space. Ask what people need in the way of transportation and don’t make assumptions.
Lodging. Some hotel rooms are designed to be wheelchair accessible and need to be reserved in advance. Check for people’s needs because some may need a roll-in shower while others require an accessible bathtub.
Restaurant. Many restaurants have an accessible restroom but they store other things in the “extra” space which will make it hard for people in wheelchairs to use. Call ahead and ask about the entry, eating area, and restrooms. Make sure they let you know about any stairs.
Weather. Big snows can make it hard to navigate by foot, in a wheelchair, or by a motorized chair. Parking spots and paths to the building need to be cleaned frequently for safety.
Contact information. Have a list of people and their responsibilities that people can call if they run into a problem on campus. For example, accessibility may be the Dean of Faculty’s responsibility but the Buildings and Grounds staff may be the ones to contact about access, and Security may be the people to call after hours.
Renovations. If you are doing renovations of any kind, ask disabled people or ADA offices to find out how to implement accessibility so that it works for the people who may use it every day. Find out what people need, such as adjustments made to the projection screen, an adjusted board height, building entry, elevator, floor surfaces, and bathrooms. For example, certain carpets can make mobility harder.
Diversity Statement. For the job applicants, the diversity statement might be a good place to bring up your condition, since the statement is asking you what life experiences you have that can help support students you teach who also have a variety of life experiences.
We’ll leave you with a personal story. An organization was trying to renovate the bathroom on my floor. One goal of the renovation was to make it more accessible for a motorized wheelchair. During the renovation, it was not available to anyone. After it was finished and reopened, I realized they had added a step in the newly finished bathroom that meant people in wheelchairs could not use it. They didn’t realize it was a big problem until I told them. It took an additional month for them to undo their work and fix the problem.
Here’s the bottom line: you can’t ask someone if they have a disability, but once they let you know, you can welcome them to let you know when they need accommodations and what will work for them. With reasonable accommodation, people not only can perform their jobs, they can thrive.
Yaomingxin Lu is a graduate student at Western Michigan University completing her PhD in mathematics education.
Deanna Haunsperger is a Professor of Mathematics at Carleton College and past president of MAA.
Rachel Levy is the Deputy Executive Director of the MAA.