Job Seeker & Employer Resources

Helpful Information for Job Seekers

Disclosing Your Disability is YOUR Choice!

People with disabilities are not required to disclose their disability and it is against the law for employers to ask an employee if he or she has a disability. However, an employer can ask if the employee needs accommodations to do the job.

Job applicants should consider whether to request job accommodations. It is always a good idea to rehearse prior to an interview. Planning boosts your confidence and, during the actual interview, makes a good impression to the employer. Hold a couple of practice runs. If you know an employer, ask him or her to conduct a mock interview and critique your answers.

Some people choose to disclose their disability during the interview to let the employer know how they intend to adapt the job tasks and alleviate unnecessary concerns. Others who do not need many accommodations may choose to withhold their disability.

Most employers appreciate being approached with trust and complete openness, while other employers may not know how to respond, or may respond poorly. Only the person with the disability should decide what will be disclosed.

Remember, there are many employers seeking qualified applicants with disabilities to work in their organization. LIFTT suggests starting your employment search by contacting disability-friendly employers.

If you are a person with a disability, please contact LIFTT at (406) 259-5181 or send us a message through the contact us page for additional information about or assistance in realizing your employment goals.

Resources

Helpful Information for Employers

When do employers have to provide an accommodation to an employee?

Employers, you must provide a reasonable accommodation if a person with a disability needs to apply for a job, perform a job, or enjoy benefits equal to those you offer other employees. Employers do not have to provide any accommodation that would pose an undue hardship.

What is an undue hardship?

Undue hardship means to the accommodation would be too difficult or too expensive to provide, considering the employer’s size, financial resources, and the needs of the business. An employer may not refuse to provide an accommodation just because it involves some cost. An employer does not have to provide the exact accommodation the employee or job applicant wants. If more than one accommodation works, the employer may choose which one to provide.

If you are an employer, please contact LIFTT at (406) 259-5181 or send us a message through the contact us page for additional information and assistance regarding how your business can benefit from employing people with disabilities.

Resources

Best Practices for Businesses in Providing the Public Accessibility and Accommodation

If you are a business or facility that serves the public, complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is not just the law, it is the right thing to do! Making stores, restaurants, museums, stadiums, theatres and other public places accessible to more customers, patrons and potential employees is good business.

If you own a business or public facility, please contact LIFTT at (406) 259-5181 or send us a message through the contact us page for additional information and assistance regarding making your organization physically and programmatically accessible.

Asian female With Down Syndrome waitress taking order from customer at cafe using digital tablet.

Resources

This thirteen-minute video identifies common mistakes that small businesses make when trying to comply with the ADA and addresses the importance and value of doing business with 50 million people with disabilities. The video features statements by store owners expressing their doubts or misunderstandings about the ADA followed by responses from the Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights and other Department of Justice employees explaining the law in common sense terms. (Video by US Department of Justice)