Re: Position Announcement - Cornell - 40 lbs of dust

[Wickenden Jane <cat1@INM.MOD.UK>]

As a disabled person I have indeed been discouraged from applying for
certain posts by the stated requirement to move heavy boxes.  Agreed,
some libraries may have maintenance staff or similar muscular folk in
the offing.  Agreed, that in small archives this is different.  But: I
don't think anyone could call Cornell small?

Under the UK Disability Discrimination Act the employer must be prepared
to make "reasonable adjustments", including transferring an unfeasible
aspect of the post to another staff member, should a disabled applicant
be more suitable, or indeed as suitable, for a post otherwise.  Could
there be some sort of small fork-lift trolley for use in archive areas?
(if not, someone alert an inventor for me, please).

Regardless of the feasibility, reasonability, or otherwise, just the
thought of having to argue one's way, yet again, past those little words
"required to lift" in an advertisement is quite enough to make an
excellent candidate look for a better option.  Perhaps it is time to
store and transport archive materials in smaller, or modular, boxes.

Regards

Jane Wickenden

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the case of a firefighter, it would obviously not be reasonable to
ask
someone else to climb a ladder for you, but in the case of an archivist,
it
MIGHT be reasonable to ask someone else to do the heavy lifting as a
reasonable accommodation to a physical disability.

Employers don't really like to accommodate employee disabilities, which
is
why it was necessary to enact a law to compel them to do so under
limited
circumstances.  But it would behoove an enlightened employer to craft
their
job descriptions so as not to discourage qualified candidates with
disabilities from applying.

It might be more convenient for the employer to have someone on the job
with
the ability to heft 40-lb. boxes without assistance, but is that ability
really essential, fundamental, or necessary to the job of an archivist?
Weight-training is not required in library school.