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Foreign companies based in India often ask in the job application, if the candidate has a disability. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of them.

In my case, I lose sleep and have stomach pain if food is not fully cooked or if it is burnt. Even pizzas, rotis, packaged snacks etc. cause this issue if it is not properly cooked/baked/fried. A doctor says it might be IBS, but there is no test to definitively prove it. I am also recovering from chronic eye strain, which requires me to always get 8hr sleep, take 5 minutes rest by closing my eyes after 20 minutes of computer use and the sum of the 20's shouldn't exceed 6hr/day. This eye strain of extraocular muscles also cannot be proven, but there are doctors who know my case history.

So my question is if anyone here knows of people who have declared a disability of this nature when applying for jobs. Before joining the company, did they need to submit a doctor's certificate? Do companies insist on tests or test results to prove the disability?

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  • Are you applying for jobs that require more than 6 hours computer work?
    – Kilisi ♦
    May 24, 2021 at 15:27
  • Job ads dont mention the number of hours, so I'm applying to full time programming jobs (part time jobs are scarce). My CV mentions the 6hr restriction on the first page.
    – Nav
    May 24, 2021 at 16:08
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    Are you in the US applying for jobs in India or vice-versa? It's not clear to me why you have two countries tagged in the question.
    – BSMP
    May 24, 2021 at 17:22
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    For US companies, which have certain legal obligations to accommodate employees with disabilities, you may find this page helpful: disabilityinfo.org/jobs/work-and-job-resources/… It has links to information to help you decide whether you should disclose any disabilities and when is the appropriate time and manner to disclose them. I don't know how relevant that information is when working in India for a US company, but it may help you understand why a US company would ask about disabilities.
    – ColleenV
    May 24, 2021 at 17:37
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    If I were you, I would post your question on IBS-related and eye-strain-related bulletin boards in India, and possibly also ask your doctors as well. Disability rights vary extremely from country to country.
    – Stephan Branczyk
    May 24, 2021 at 17:37

1 Answer 1

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Do companies insist on tests or test results to prove the disability?

No. Medical examinations are not their job. And even if they would (which would be crazy) it would not help them, since they ask because of laws and regulations and those do not really allow "self-certified" disabilities, neither by the patient, nor by a company.

Companies care for an official certification of your disability. Because that is something they can put on file and hand to the authorities upon request. How you get an official disability certification in your country is something you will have to look up and discuss with your doctors.

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