🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi everyone,
Israel still has some companies whose employment policies are unacceptably
discriminatory against the hearing impaired (meaning both deaf and hard of
hearing) population in Israel.  This malaise affects even Hi-tech companies
which are usually considered to have enlightened employment policies.

Recently I have had the experience of encountering such a company.  The
company in question is Neve Zuf Computers LTD (phones 08-244256, 08-240150,
the second number serves also as a FAX).

My story about this company is:
1. At 26.10.1993, I sent them a FAX about my availability for freelance
work in software.
2. At 23.11.1993, I got from them a FAX inviting me to contact Shimon Droi.
3. Immediately I sent Shimon a FAX listing 4 dates/times at which I am
free for a meeting and inviting him to propose an alternative if none of
the above is convenient for him.

So far so good.

4. In the evening of 23.11.1993, a secretary from that company phoned my
home and my wife (who is hard of hearing) answered the phone.  The
secretary wanted to administer a short interview via the phone.  I refused
and suggested to hold a meeting instead.  I was prepared to go to their
office even for a 5 minute long meeting.  The reason for my refusal is
because I am deaf and cannot communicate directly on the phone, and there
is the problem of "broken phone" (in both directions - transmission of
questions to me and transmission of my answers to them).
5. Since the above phone discussion, they didn't contact me for
establishing a time for interview.

My grievance is that their interviewing policy is not sufficiently
flexible to accommodate special candidates who can do the job, but phone
interview won't do them full justice due to various reasons.

By the way, such a policy is illegal in USA, according to the Americans
with Disabilities Act (a law whose counterpart is regrettably lacking in
Israel).

According to experience in discrimination-related ligitation in more
enlightened countries, I have no chance to get job or project in the above
company due to the circumstances even if I were to win a trial.  My only
recourse is to publicize the incident as much as possible to achieve the
following two purposes:
1. Warn other potential employers/clients so that they'll treat fairly
hearing impaired persons who contact them in the future.
2. Ensure that Neve Zuf Computers LTD will change their policies so as to
give an equal break to the hearing impaired in the future.
                                                       --- Omer
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- (Internet:  xlacha1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il)
Ask me about development of computer-based solutions to meet the
needs of the hearing impaired, and about contract work in software
and digital electronics engineering.          FAX:  +972-3-9315314