I am a mid-level professional who has recently left their old role and who is looking for a new one. I also have a sensory impairment that I cannot correct, meaning I get very fatigued. I have worked full time for the last 10 years and have 'coped' with the fatigue and the stress of knowing I have to fight through the fatigue by sleeping through Saturdays and having periods off work with stress/burnout. Clearly this isn't sustainable.
My concern is that there are so very few people in my profession with disabilities/sensory impairments that I think I am right to be worried about prejudice if I say I want a 4-day week due to my vision before I agree to any interviews. One recruiter has said Ill probably have to disclose the reason for wanting a 4-day week. The profession has made some progress on 4-day weeks for parents (but not as much as it should) and I wondered how others dealt with looking for work when they have childcare/reduced hours requirements. Do you negotiate this after accepting a role, discuss after/during interview or before? I could just about do 6 months to prove myself somewhere before going down to 4 days per week but I'd worry about the impact on my mental health and the possibility they'd say no/be as hostile as my last employer. Any views/experiences/advice welcome. I'm sorry to be a bit vague on the details - I'd rather not disclose too much as I worry about the impact of anyone putting two and two together.