What accommodations does everyone ask for?

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I'm just curious, since a friend suggested I try to do the disability thing, which I hadn't considered before.
I haven't had a real job like a desk job or anything, but if I were ever to get one, I don't know what to expect, so that's why I'm asking.
What kind of accommodations have you guys asked for, if you have?
The ones I can think of are: ask if I can wear comfortable clothes,like a hoodie, (I won't be getting a job that hinges on looking nice for customers or anything, or else I wouldn't ask for this) and ask if can listen to headphones at my desk.
Also, do work places get mad if you sit weird? XD;; Like, if you have your feet on the chair? I always sort of crouch or kneel on chairs. I never feel comfortable with my feet on the ground.
I guess it might depend on the place, but I thought I'd ask if anyone has encountered that, heh.

Ooh, also, when is it best to ask about accommodations like that? At the beginning, or after a few weeks, or what?

I would never start out asking about accommodations or anything remotely related to "What can YOU do for ME?" Just because the law says they have to accommodate you, reality is they won't want to take on that extra burden and as long as they aren't stupid enough to give you hard evidence that's why they're not hiring you, yes, they can refuse to hire you on the basis of your disability.

Rather, I would go for jobs that meet some of those criteria to begin with, such as a job that doesn't require a uniform. I find that once I'm there I can create my own accommodations, like take the old chair no one wants and therefore no one cares if I put my feet on it (I too hate sitting 'normally' in chairs!).

For myself, the most common accommodation I ask for at work is what they will claim to want to give me anyway: No on office politics/gossip mill/playground behavior and yes on straightforward, clear communication.

Of course, neither of these things are common in the workplace but they are things the boss will want to think exist. And I can bring them up without even bringing up my Asperger's (which I rarely do with a new employer - again, I say "Asperger's" and all they hear is "Problem employee ... ret*d ... Special Needs that I don't want to have to meet ...). Instead, I turn them into positives. When you get that inevitable question about "What are your weaknesses?" I'll tell them, "I'm not at all good at the office politics and he-said-she-said games so I try to stay away from them, which kind of angers the more drama-oriented coworkers but I'm here to work, not to play soap opera games. And I'm a very straightforward communicator. If someone is beating around the bush or expecting me to take a hint it often goes right over my head. If you have something to say to me, just say it straight."

This satisfies my asking-for-accommodations without actually asking for them, and answers a negative question with a positive attribute. Win-win.

Good luck!

In my current job I simply said "put me in a corner and I'm happy" - and they did. I don't like people working behind me, I find I constantly turn round and/or feel uncomfortable that they might be watching me.
Also the noise kinda bounces of the corners of a room so it's not 'lost' behind me, i.e. I can hear/understand things a little more clearly.
Sadly, my office is going to undergo renovations soon and I'm bit worried that I'll end up some place noisy. But if that my work rate will go down so my employer will have to come up with something unless he wants me to work at a reduced rate (not very likely, I imagine!)

Thanks you guys, that helps a lot! I just needed to develop a clearer picture of how the situation might be. I feel less apprehensive about it now. But how do I apply as disabled (which I thought might help because they get tax advantages..) if I don't tell them my diagnosis? It's PDD-NOS by the way, so maybe that's better than "Asperger's" for them to hear?

I don't have a desk/office job, but I do have a job where I have to wear a uniform, but the employers aren't really strict. The small school I went to had uniforms also, but they weren't bad. When I started work I didn't mention that I was autistic, but it became apparently clear that parts of my job were 'difficult' for me. I'm a letter carrier, I work well, but don't deal with customers all that great- surprise surprise, and the uniform was crap. I lucked out, with understanding supervisors who appreciate my integrity, so they have accomodated me to a degree. I have only worked in 2 different post offices for the last 14 or so years, so have worked around a very limited amount of supervisors, but I think it helped that my daughter played in a boys basketball league with one of my present supervisors sons - a long but interesting story- but even before I came to this office 3 years ago, I was accomodated by my past supervisors.

They have supplied me with cotton tshirts instead of the blended crap of button shirt or the nylon golf shirt, I supply my own shorts- they don't try to force me to wear the ones they supply. I've had superintendents in both offices that would let me go in their offices to have little meltdowns ( I have a slight problem with the efficiency of ppl- and other stuff that goes on for the 3 hours that we are in the office)- My 1st supervisor was great, he had me figured out, so they have given me a little leeway with my emotions etc., and they've realized in the long run that I'm a decent employee, and they me wear my headphones while driving, so for the most part I'm a pretty happy camper

[quote="I'm a decent employee, and they me wear my headphones while driving, so for the most part I'm a pretty happy camper[/quote]

I hate to be a downer on my first post, but you might want to know that it some states its illegal to block or obstruct both ears while driving. Might want to check with the DMV.

It's a tough call as there are some employers who will want to fill a quota or get some other form of brownie points for hiring the disabled. However, I can almost guarantee they will want to shy away from our kind of 'disability.' Someone with a hook for a hand? That's fine. But someone with any kind of emotional/neurological issue? All they see is "crazy person/ret*d" and won't want to deal with it.

Sorry to sound so harsh and blunt, but that's the world I've observed here in free market America.

That said, I kind of feel them out in the interview. If it sounds like they can handle the Asperger's issue I bring it up in the aforementioned turn-a-negative-into-a-positive way. At my current federal job, I did check off Asperger's on the paperwork, but they had already hired me at that point.

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/asperger.html

I'm pretty sure I'd be fired if I asked for accommodations. I know that legally, they can't do that, but like another poster said, if I said AS, all they'd hear is "ret*d" so when the time came to downsize my name would be at the top of the list.

I relate to this story a lot right now. I decided to not address getting accommodations for now. I keep a regular schedule with my doctors so if I need something addressed, I can ask the doctor to make the recommendation. Thankfully, nothing has arisen that needed a doctor's letter yet. Even if not directly about our Autism Spectrum Disorder, stress shows itself all over. If you have high blood pressure, for example, perhaps a day or two of telecommuting can be arranged, helping manage the ASD better at the same time. Perhaps don't request a change based solely on the ASD, but incorporate more parts of our health into the same change.

But most of all, let your other hard work mask any social weaknesses, and most employers can see how your attributes are valuable!

Hm. I think you should try to come across as easy as possible in the job interview.
Then, once you're hired, see how far you can go, lol.

Kirsty

Can you say who your employer is and what type of work you do?

Its very good of an employer to cede to this.

Kornik

Kirsty

If your employer has been amenable once I am sure they would be again.

Kornik

I don't ask for any.

I work in local government, in a geographic role.

If I remember I will tell you more when I reply properly to your PM.

Kirsty

Have a look at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/employmentASDfact.doc which was produced by the U.S. Department of Labor.