Reasonable accomodations in job application: job try-out
One of the "reasonable accommodations" that can be requested under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) during a job application process is "a short-term job try-out in lieu of or in addition to the traditional hiring routine of application, interview, and testing" (http://www.onestops.info/print.php?article_id=24).
Does anyone have any knowledge of or experience in requesting such an accommodation during the job application process? I am interested in requesting something like this because I have lost so many opportunities not due to an inability to do the job but an inability to pass a traditional interview (e.g. "What is your greatest weakness?"), inability to pass those Likert personality tests, and/or because my resume does not show a traditional progressive career path. In other words, I am stereotyped as incapable before ever being allowed to demonstrate my skills.
I am not having trouble locating or comprehending the literal texts of the applicable statutes. I'm primarily looking for practical information, anecdotes, data, or advice about requesting this kind of accommodation, such as how hard it is to obtain in real life and to what extent strong performance in such a tryout actually enables one to get a job despite not having the "right" resume, job history, or interviewing skills.
This question has nothing to do with how to learn job skills, how or where to obtain formal vocational training, or how to prepare for, register for, or pass the GED or similar assessments.
Thanks,
Thanks, and you may be right, but let's assume for the moment that I have all of those functional job skills, but want a tryout because I am impaired in interviewing skills that aren't needed on the job (or that could be handled later with an on-the-job "Reasonable Accomodation"). Vocational Rehab sometimes claims that they can help one obtain a tryout as an application accomodation, but it isn't clear how this can be done practically without Voc. Rehab and their focus on janitorial and other very low skill jobs. For example, is it as simple as calling and saying "Hi, I am a person with a disability, I would like to schedule a tryout next month for the position of Advanced Junior Over-Manager, Lower Division, Upper Grade, Second Level, I have the skills to do that but my disability makes me unable to pass a regular interview", or is more required (in your knowledge or experience)? For example, are there specific documents to obtain or submit? Does one need to rent a separate, dedicated work space for the tryout? Does one need to locate and hire an external vocational evaluation professional to manage the tryout or is the employer required to do that as part of its ADA obligations?