Disability Disclosure @ Work

By Tripp, Senior Ticket Counselor

Disclosing a disability to an employer can be an anxiety producing situation for many individuals.  Unfortunately it may be necessary to share information about your disability, if you are seeking to have an employer provide you with reasonable accommodations for you to excel in your position, or to modify current policies and procedures in place to avoid discrimination.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to protect you from disability related discrimination in the workplace.  The law requires that qualified applicants and employees with disabilities are to be provided with reasonable accommodations, however in order to benefit from this law, one must disclose their disability to the employer.  Employers are only required to provide work related accommodations when you disclose your disability to the appropriate individuals.    

Keep in mind that you do have protections available to you when you choose to disclose.

• You are entitled to respect and confidentiality regarding your disability.

• Obtain information about hiring practices from organizations.

• Disclosing your disability at any time during the employment process.

• Receive reasonable accommodations for applying and interviewing for jobs.

• Being considered for positions based on merit and skill.

There is never a right time or place for disclosing a disability.  It is best to keep the following tips in mind when deciding when and how to disclose your disability to an employer:

• Will disclosing information about your disability help you to be successful at your job?

• Do you need accommodations or assistance to successfully complete your job?

• Choose a private and confidential setting.

• Allow the employer time to ask questions.

• Don’t dwell on your limitations.

• Weigh the pros and cons of disclosure at each point of the job search, recruitment, and hiring process such as in the application letter, before or during an interview, after a job offer has been made, during your employment with the employer.

• Prepare yourself ahead of time to disclose your disability by knowing what needs you will have in order to successfully complete the job tasks, your plan for accomplishing daily tasks, including practical suggestions for reasonable accommodations if needed.

• Practice your disclosure with someone that you trust.  This will allow you test different methods to see what will be the best fit for you.

• Most importantly keep it positive!  You only have to disclose relevant information, but keep in mind your strengths and that you can do the job.

When you are ready to disclose your disability to the employer, keep it simple.  Provide information such as:

• General information about your disability.

• Why you have chosen to disclose your disability.

• How the disability may affect your ability to perform key tasks on the job.

• The types of accommodations that have worked for you in the past.

• The types of accommodations you anticipate needing to do your current job.

When you are ready to disclose, make sure that you do so with an individual who has the authority to handle your accommodation request.  For example, the supervisor that is responsible for all hiring and retention of staff.