Do you tick the "I have a disablity" box on job ap

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Lol, I just filled out a resume with DFAS - I wish they'd given the "I choose not to share this information box but I just went with no. Then again I'm kind of thinking that its one of those things where unless it tangibly interferes with my ability to get the job done, being its an invisible disability, they probably won't make anymore issue of it than if I just had anxiety or ADD and wouldn't have selected 'yes' in that box.

I'm thinking the disability box is probably more for people who are perfectly capable of doing the job, but they have something like a physical disability that they'll need accomodation for. If there's a disability that's gonna interfere significantly with the job itself then you would assume that some sort of arrangements are already happening (through an outside agency or whatever), otherwise the person wouldn't be applying for the job in the first place.

Sadly no, its not about whether they can do the job. Mainly its either insurance issues or company 'image' (ie. you look less professional or your customers supposedly question your credibility if you have people working for you who don't look like other people). Also that rumor still floats out there that people with disabilities are sick more often or are less productive - which has been proven untrue but people still adhere to it mainly because I think they want an excuse to tell themselves when it comes back around to the emotional issues of having someone work in a place who has a disability, physical or otherwise. Before now I've been inclined to really think and hope that people at large, even in the business world, weren't this creepy but I've been hearing from specialists in the job field who've been in it for years and years that yeah - as a matter of fact they are.

I guess it depends too on what kind of job you're looking for/what kind of company it is... and it's probably regional to some extent too - around here (a "rural" area, no huge cities nearby) most employers seem to be pretty open to accomodating people with all types of disabilities.

This is why I'm aiming for government or private accounting - I don't want to be in a place like a CPA firm where I pretty much have to be a car salesman with a degree.

That definitely makes sense though. In a rural area the labor market is probably more of a seller's market whereas in a metropolitan area, at least where there's a shortage of openings available, its a definite buyers market. The only downside about rural areas though is there may not be that many places most people wouldn't think to go there because of the fact that not too many companies will headquarter themselves out of such places - mainly on account of finding enough people who are in the professions they need who aren't already employed.

Yeah, it's a different type of job market, different jobs. For some professions you have to leave the area after you're done school to find a job in a bigger city (Toronto for example) because you won't find a job around here. Lol, I'm starting to feel like I live in Redneckville... the job market isn't really that bad though. It's just that overall there's more of a sense of community, people know each other more, so that makes a difference when it comes to people with disabilities. (As well as the seller's market thing that you mentioned.) And the more highly-skilled professions/company types that would be less disability-friendly aren't around here quite as much. So yeah, that's why my perception of the purpose of the disability box on a job application is different from yours. (Lol just now I'm trying to type with a cat walking all over me, laying on my arms etc - now that takes skill. Too bad employers aren't looking for that one.)

I recently filled in an application form (do they deliberately make them confusing?) and came upon the question:
" Do you consider yourself to have a disability?", underneath this in small print it had words to the effect of, "in order to have a disability this must comply with the DSM-iv criteria 1995", or something like that.
So, in reality they aren't asking you whether YOU consider yourself to have a disability, but whether THEY think you have a disability, confusion?

As i do not have a copy of the DSM whatever, truthfully i can put whatever i want, and thanks to the disability discrimination act, or the equal oppurtunities policy, if you indicate that you have a disability you are automatically given an interview.

Thank you positive discrimination.

Don't they assume that's a yes then?

I've heard that too but at the same time if you do interview under that clause they're supposedly far less likely to hire you, just based on the fact that they did what they had to and at the hiring point its purely subjective and there's no way to argue against the possibility that someone else who interviewed for the position was just better qualified.

I agree with that. I usually don't say anything, but when I was applying to this software company that makes programs for school kids, I told them that I had a learning disability, and therefore I could better understand why kids need this program. I think that's what got me an interview, although I didn't get hired.