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From: Beth Bienvenu
Date: 14 Oct 2006
Time: 22:08:49 -0500
Remote Name: 71.246.249.140
Thanks for posting! Disclosure is such a tricky thing. It’s hard to know whether it’s best to disclose during the interview, after the offer has been made, once you start the job, or not at all. It all depends on the person, the disability, the organizational culture, the type of work, etc., so there is not one solution for everyone. I like the advice that Chris Roach gives in his 2004 ISAD article (“The Dreaded Job Interview: Secret Tips from the Inside – for Stutterers”) – you may want to check it out. He says that the key is not to disclose your stuttering, but what you DO with your stuttering; introduced your stuttering, don’t let it introduce you. It’s all about attitude and remembering that it’s not about your speech but about your qualifications – you’re just as qualified as the next person, and your stuttering doesn’t have anything to do with it. We sell this message all the time at ODEP for workers with disabilities, and it’s important for stutterers to remember it as well. Thanks!