Disability Caucus 1/31/2017: Disability Rights Advocacy as a Career?
The other day my employment specialist sent me a link to a job with the college I got my degrees from for a part time administrative assistant. Let me just tell you right off the bat that the requirements...I'm sorry, 'minimum qualifications' for the job are flat out insane. Here, let me post what I mean below:
Salary & Benefit:
The hourly rate is $8.50. This position has been approved for up to 28 hours per week. This position is eligible for regular part-time benefits (i.e. vacation, life insurance, etc.).Position Concept:
The Assistant will perform clerical and administrative support services and/or other functions supervised by the Campus Associate Provost.Minimum Qualifications:
The following minimum qualifications for this position must be met before any applicant will be considered:
- High school or GED diploma
- At least two years’ related experience
- Ability to multitask in a very busy office
- Valid Florida Motor Vehicle Operator’s license required
- This position will require successful fingerprinting and the candidate chosen will be required to pay the associated fee (currently $36.00)
- Understanding of and commitment to Equal Access/Equal Opportunity
- Official transcripts of all collegiate work will be required to be considered beyond the application phase*
- *High school or GED diploma or transcripts or official transcripts of all collegiate work (as appropriate for the position) must be sent directly from the attended institution to the Human Resources Office prior to the first day of employment. All foreign degrees must have a course-by-course official evaluation and translation sent to the Human Resources Office directly from an evaluation company affiliated with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc.
Minimum physical qualifications:
- Must be able to talk, listen and speak clearly on the telephone
- Ability to occasionally lift, push, pull and/or move up to 30 pounds
- Ability to access, input and retrieve information and or data from automated computer systems
That's right. All that for a job that doesn't even pay far above minimum wage. From what I can gather it looks like they're seeking to hire from within or not at all. Based on the 2 qualifications I've highlighted in bold, I'd also be willing to bet that scheduling will be erratic, and that's if they do hire someone, which like I said above, it's more likely that they won't.
So what should I do about this? To be honest, I've actually thought about working with disability advocacy groups or something similar in nature because I'd like to put some of that raging anger of mine when it comes to Florida politics to good use.
Granted, I wouldn't do too well as the face of advocacy because I at least realize I don't really have any business talking to people. I don't exactly have a law degree but I can research. And I know I can bring something to the table with my own experiences.
If anyone has any pointers on this, let me know.
Aspie
Comments
Sounds to me like there is an internal candidate
but I don't know, too long out of the job market for me. Why a driver's license is required for answering the telephone--???? Unless it's just to hustle to work for 3.7 hours on Tuesday.
Your idea of advocacy may be right, but who would pay you for your services? You are correct that you have the back side of experience, but you have to bring something other than a sympathetic ear to the table. Can you "network" to make connections to actual jobs? Find employers willing to hire those with "disabilities"? Physical as well as mental? Get your ducks in a row.
If you are in FL, check out jobs with large greenhouse operations, I am sure you know all this stuff.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
You can put volunteer work on a resume, too.
I've been told that they just don't want to see any unexplained blank periods. Training, self-study, writing analyses of this situation and leading discussions of it (as you are here), anything generally along the lines of working or busily learning. Offer to consult on meeting legal disability requirements? Even if you don't get paid for it a few times to start with?
The vagueness makes my spidey-sense tingle 'Warning!"
Based on a very bad experience, the vaugeness makes me very wary of this job.Has the job been held by anybody yet? Do they even know what the person will be expected to do? Has the computer system been already set up, and is it functioning well with up-to-date info already entered, or will you be expected to create a system to manage the information, as well as office procedures? With all of these (and similar) tasks going under the heading of 'other duties as required' while you continue to be paid and evaluated under the vague terms of being able to answer the phone, sometimes lift 30 pounds, and sometimes (maybe) drive? Will you be held hostage under a low-level 'clerical' job description and pay grade, while you are actually fulfilling much higher-level 'administrative' functions which your boss will 'get credit' for?
Sounds like a shit job, but your idea is great . . .
The issue in my family is dyslexia and I know in Texas there are "dyslexia advocates" who will go to the schools and make sure certain dyslexic students are given the accommodations they need. During one job I had a student who was legally blind and there was a person who came into my classroom and made sure she had the necessary tech equipment.
I don't know how any of it is setup however. My husband and I were proactive advocates and never used the service.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
something to consider per...
...."disability advocate". My local community college has a disabled students services program. It is basically a division in the administration that sets up accommodations for disabled students attending the college. As for me, I'm hard of hearing, so I get paperwork completed by the department that I hand to the professor that states that I need to be seated in the front row of the classroom. There are a few other checkboxes marked but I never need them, such as having a dedicated notetaker. If I am seated in the front row I can hear well enough to take my own notes. A blind guy in one of my classes had some technological needs for lectures and homework.
Is there is a similar department you can tap into for job prospects, not necessarily for advocacy, but just simply serving the needs of the disabled student? Maybe that falls under the umbrella of advocacy. I can't really tell from the job description if you are applying to the same sort of disabled students program. Having the "Campus Associate Provost" as supervisor offers no clarification.
As for having to possibly move up to 30 pounds on occasion it sounds like having to maybe lift a box of copy paper to the machine periodically if the bin becomes empty during a copy task. Kind of a cover all bases for practically any job.