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Inaccessible job interview...venting

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    Inaccessible job interview...venting

    Long story short I had an interview today at a prominent university...only to be confronted with handicapped parking that was, get this, at the top of a very steep hill and solely accessed by 3 flights of stairs. (Snort!) So I made my careful, painful slow way down the stairs, 2 blocks of walking to find:

    the building where my meeting was to take place was locked, at all entrances...there were no signs but lots of mess and hubbub of construction.

    All alternate routes were...accessible by 3-5 flights of stairs and blocks of walking, then more stairs, stairs, stairs! Argh! The few ramps were at almost 45' angles/pitch!

    What should have been a 5 minute trip into the building turned into a miserable, difficult 30 minute ordeal that left me exhausted, shaking, almost fainting from overheating and trying to move my ever-heavier legs.

    I was late for my meeting and drenched in sweat...It actually went well, but almost needless to say I do not want to work there anymore as everyday would be stairs-ridden hell (and doesn't pay enough for the misery and hassle).

    I have never been to a more inaccessible campus, it was jaw-droppingly awful.
    RRMS 2011, Copaxone 2011-2013, Tecfidera 2013-current

    #2
    Good Lord! No doubt they proudly trumpet their "disability friendly" employment policies.

    The place where I work is oh-so-sensitive, you can have a rollator or a wheelchair and we'll pay, but the only entry point has a large step, so um, that's not really going to work, is it.

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      #3
      Wow Kate, I'm feeling your pain just reading that! I've encountered blindness, fatigue, weakness trying to navigate at our local university in the blazing heat. Can't imagine going into an interview in that state! Kudos to you for getting through that.

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        #4
        I am sorry you experienced this. I hope you will follow up with a local media outlet. If they will agree to a story it will likely do more than just filing a grievance with a paper pusher.

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          #5
          I'd like to follow up but I don't want to advertise my MS openly...I am 30 years from retirement age (though I sure feel past retirement some days) Still, I do know some people who just might be able to get the ball rolling without my continued involvement. It did make me so angry and frustrated I almost cried - which was even more galling. Thank you for commiserating...nobody understands outside of here!
          RRMS 2011, Copaxone 2011-2013, Tecfidera 2013-current

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            #6
            I'm so sorry you had this happen to you. Wonder what it takes for people/employers to understand what "Handicapped accessible" should mean.

            I once had a job interview in a federal building - the same building where applicants for SSDI would (try to) go to file their applications. The first floor was all atrium lobby with a two story staircase to access the offices upstairs; the only elevator was a freight elevator in the back of the building! The person greeting me for the interview met me in the lobby and said proudly that they made the elevator inaccessible in order to encourage using the stairs as "healthy behavior."

            I climbed those stairs slowly and didn't mention that MS made stairs difficult for me. I did not get the job.

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              #7
              "handicapped" entrance

              I'm so sorry you went through that. I would've given up after I found the doors locked, or more stairs. My 'hats off to you' for your persistence. The 'handicapped' entrance to where I work has two sets of heavy doors. One has a nice button to push to open the door. The next one is a security door. You need to swipe your security pass, then at the same time open a very heavy door. There is no way someone with a wheelchair could get in without help. I have had to call in because I told them I wouldn't be able to open the door, among other things I would need help with or couldn't do to get me through the day.

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