When should I request ADA accommodations for a job

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dhlunar

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I had a interview last week for a promotion at work. The interview was of all of 10 minutes long. It was short because it was in the same department. A couple of hours after the interview, I asked another manager what type of electronic verbal communications device (two-way radios) was going to be used on this project. The manager respond and I informed him there might be an issue in regards to my hearing aids being able to work with the device. I said I had an audiologist appointment the next day, and I would be getting new hearing aids in two week.
I found out today, that I didn't get the job. Did I make a mistake by asking the manager what type of technology was going to be used on the project and state there might be an issue and/or need for accommodation before I got offered the job?
 
If this position requires verbal communication, and you can speak verbally and hear well with a HA, you should be able to have the job in which you were interested but you didn't have a HA at that time so I guess it was too late because the manager needed to hire someone right away. He/she is not required to wait for you to get a HA.
 
I think you have to plan all the time when to bring up that kind of stuff. Ada would support you legally, but it would be hard and could make your job disappear. It would be next to impossible to prove you were passed up cuz of your inability to use a walkie talkie.
I would suggest you talk with a lwyer who specializes in ada cases
 
dhlunar said:
I had a interview last week for a promotion at work. The interview was of all of 10 minutes long. It was short because it was in the same department. A couple of hours after the interview, I asked another manager what type of electronic verbal communications device (two-way radios) was going to be used on this project. The manager respond and I informed him there might be an issue in regards to my hearing aids being able to work with the device. I said I had an audiologist appointment the next day, and I would be getting new hearing aids in two week.
I found out today, that I didn't get the job. Did I make a mistake by asking the manager what type of technology was going to be used on the project and state there might be an issue and/or need for accommodation before I got offered the job?
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That's where I would think twice about promoting you to the area where talkie-walkie are required. I don't think they willing to hold on for two weeks to see if your new hearing aids will work with talkie-walkie.

I don't think it's necessary to drag ADA in because you basically told them it might be an issue. It's not fair to the company who is trying to be more effective and you put your feet in and saying it might be an issue. They cannot gamble on your new hearing aids.
 
The problem is, because of the timing of your statement to the interviewer, you really don't know if your hearing was the cause of not being promoted, or some other reason.

Suppose you had gotten the promotion, then mentioned a possible walkie-talkie problem, and then lost the promotion? That would be a clear-cut case of discrimination.

However, unless there is documentation or witnesses that can verify discrimination in your current case, it would be hard to prove.
 
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