Folks:

As I continue to meander along the employment search highway, I've noticed a disturbing trend...One that I thought had begun to turn a corner, but now am not so sure of.  I'm not unrealistic, I know what the job market is like; it is a rough and tumble world right now just waiting to chew up and spit out job-seekers of ALL types right now.

However, as a professional with 17 years of relevant experience in my chosen field, with 2 degrees and numerous accomplishments under my belt, with a fairly extensive network of colleagues and contacts, I have landed exactly TWO in-person interviews and ONE phone interview in two plus months of searching, and NONE of those resulted in a call-back or even a courtesy email in reply to my follow up emails.  For someone who has been employed continously since 1986, and have been a hiring manager myself, this was shocking.  In my years of interviewing and hiring, I NEVER failed to respond to a follow up inquiry from a job-seeker, irregardless of whether or not I intended to make an offer.  I ALWAYS attempted to interview and consider ALL candidates irregardless of race, gender, disability, etc.  I have hired women, minorities, and at least one person with a disability.  I think, if they were asked, every single one of them would say I was fair, if nothing else.  For me, the ability of the person to do the job, with or without accommodation, was and always will be, the primary consideration.  I could care less about the other stuff as long as they were the best person for the job, PERIOD.

A little background for you.  After the first month of fruitless job search, I decided to initiate a little test to identify what may be the reason for the lack of interest.  I sought out 10 job opportunities, all with the same basic qualifications/requirements, and ALL of which I met at least the minimum requirements.  For 5 of those jobs (group 1), I submitted my initial resume, which listed my VP (videophone) number, and also in my achievements/interests section, listed some of the advocacy work I have done for the deaf and hard of hearing.  For the other 5 jobs (group 2), I submitted the same resume, but without my VP number or any of my advocacy work listed.

The results?  From group 1, I received ZERO interest.  NO emails, no phone calls, NOTHING. NADA.  From group 2, I received 3 contacts.  All of them led to at least an interview, but nothing further, despite my follow up contact with the interviewers.

Now, you tell me what that sounds like?  I truly hope Obama's profession to make the federal government a role model of hiring those with disabilities takes root.  I disagree with the man's politics, but applaud him if there is REAL effort made to educate the workforce employers about the benefits of hiring those with a disability.  I DO NOT WANT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GROW BIGGER necessarily, BUT I would like to see attitudes changed, with employers taking applicants with a disability seriously.  Needless to say, I do NOT send out my initial resume anymore, just the revised one with my home phone number listed instead of my VP number, and no advocacy work listed either.

But for now, while the ADA may have opened doors in housing, public accommodation, and other various and sundry areas of everyday living, it appears that change in employment attitudes is still the deaf Atlantis: a mythical paradise not yet found.  That's a shame.  So much talent goes unused or unrecognized because of small-minded and ignorant people who can't see the forest for the trees. Isn't 20 years long enough for employers to have learned from the ADA by now?