Checklist for Disability Disclosure

Disclosing your disability can affect whether or not you land a job. This is because many people misunderstand the effects of different disabilities and prejudice is still common. In some cases, your disability may be considered an asset. The employer may need to fulfill affirmative action requirements or your personal experience may help you better fulfill job requirements. It's important to understand your rights and the pros and cons of disability disclosure. It is also important to know the best way to go about disclosing your disability if you choose to do so.

Know Your Rights

• Reasonable accommodations can include accessibility to your workplace.

  Whether or not you disclose your disability during a job search is up to you. An employer cannot ask about current or past medical conditions on an application or during an interview. Once you're offered a job, you may be asked to submit to a medical examination if the job requires it. An employer does have the right to ask whether or not you can perform the required job duties.

  Sometimes it is in your best interest to disclose your disability if you need "reasonable accommodations." Your disability may affect your ability to do the work or how well you can do the work; your job performance evaluation can suffer. If you have a disability, you have the right to ask for changes in your work environment or procedures in order to better help you do your work. You might ask for a sign language interpreter or a software program that levels the playing field for you. You might ask that shelving be changed so you can better reach tools or suggest other procedural changes or assistive technology that would help you be a more effective employee.

  An employer has the right to refuse such changes if it would cause "undue hardship" for the business. Cost and the effects on the performance of other employees must be considered.

  You can ask for reasonable accommodations at any time during your employment. You may choose to disclose your disability after you've seen that such a change would improve your performance.

Know the Company

• Do your best to research the culture of the prospective company.

  Research the company you are interested in working for. The business may be recognized for hiring people with disabilities or it may have interest in people with certain kinds of disabilities. State and federal agencies must fulfill affirmative action policies. Your experience and insight may help you land certain types of jobs, such as a counselor or consultant. Some online disability networks list companies that are known to hire people with disabilities. Determine the company culture to judge how open they might be to hiring you.

Know the Job

• An employer may value your skills above your disability.

  It's important to fully understand the duties of the job you're applying for. Determine the difference between essential duties or core responsibilities and those that are adjunct or of less importance. You may ask the employer what they consider to be essential duties to determine whether or not you'll need to disclose your disability. An employer might excuse you from marginal work duties if she feels your ability to do the essential work is desirable. They may be willing to provide accommodations for you to fulfill other roles. Your best bet in these cases is to have ideas at the ready about what accommodations or changes might be made to allow you to fulfill your work responsibilities.

Choosing to Disclose

• Disclose your disability to someone who is aware of your value.

  You should only disclose your disability in your application or interview if it has direct relevance to your ability to fulfill job requirements or if you have an obvious disability that might give your interviewer concerns about your abilities. After you've been hired, you might realize that reasonable accommodations might improve your performance and your employer's evaluation of your present benefit and potential benefit for the company. You might choose disability disclosure if keeping such a secret causes you undue stress or affects your relationships with other employees.

  It's best to disclose your disability once you've been able to demonstrate your capabilities. Tell someone you trust or with whom you have an affable relationship. You'll be less likely to encounter prejudice in these cases.

Focus on Your Ability

• Ask for assistive technologies that will increase your performance.

  You should present yourself as a capable person with a disability rather than a disabled person with some skills. Employers hire people for what they can do; they don't value people for what they cannot do.

  Emphasize your skills and value. Use life anecdotes to illustrate your ability to overcome obstacles, your confidence and determination and your present and past successes.

  Anticipate the concerns a disability disclosure may invoke in the employer and address those issues. Be ready to provide ideas about alternatives and solutions and how these changes will benefit the company.

  You don't have to disclose any information about your disability that isn't work related. You don't have to tell your employer the details concerning how you acquired your disability, how it affects your life or what treatment it required.