Walsall woman rejected from 100 jobs after disclosing disability

Shani Dhanda failed to get a single interview after sending out heaps of covering letters revealing she suffered from life-limiting brittle bone disease.

But the Walsall resident claimed she bagged her first interview and job as soon as she hid her condition during the job application process.

It comes as disability charity Scope calls on West Midlands companies to create workplaces where disabled people feel confident ‘coming out’ about their conditions or impairments.

Miss Dhanda said: "It was so disheartening. At 3ft 10ins tall, I'm limited in the jobs I can apply for, and the ones that I was eligible for were not replying to me.

"Living with a disability is a full time job in itself. When you want to work and contribute to society, and you are not even offered that opportunity, it's really distressing.

"I don't think attitudes have changed. A lot of friends with conditions are always telling me how hard it is to get a job."

Former St Michael's Church of England High School student Miss Dhanda started applying for jobs at 16, with hopes of grabbing part-time work while she studied at college.

After failing to secure any interviews, she removed her condition from her covering letter and decided not to mention it to employers.

Since then, she has only declared her disability on equal opportunities forms after feeling uncomfortable discussing her needs with bosses.

Miss Dhanda has since launched her own company Social Butterfly Events, which saw her host events for world champion boxer Anthony Joshua earlier this year.

But the 30-year-old said she felt disheartened by the attitudes of employers, adding: "It was a real challenge. It was another barrier I had to face in addition to so many others you have to face with a disability."

Brittle bone disease, which causes fragile bones to break easily, left Miss Dhanda forced to learn how to walk six times after repeatedly breaking her legs as a youngster.

In the workplace, she needs a special chair, foot stall and keyboard to help manage the condition while carrying out tasks.

She said bosses need to implement an 'open door policy' where people with disabilities can speak openly about their conditions, adding: "I think employers need to make the workplace a place where people can feel comfortable and really be themselves."

Nearly half of disabled people have worried about telling employers about their impairment or condition, research by Scope revealed.

Its new survey found two in five people who requested vital workplace adjustments said they felt uncomfortable asking bosses, while more than a quarter believe they have been turned down for a job because of their condition.