FAQ Sheet 9:
What do I need to consider when deciding whether to disclose my disability at work?
The information below is adapted from 'Choosing Your Path. Disclosure: It's a Personal Choice' (2003) by Anna Mungovan, Regional Disability and Liaison Officer, Greater Western Sydney Region, hosted by University of Western Sydney and Fran Quigley, Regional Disability Liaison Officer, Western Victoria, hosted by the University of Ballarat.
Every person with disability considering their future career is faced with the choice of whether or not to disclose their disability. Ultimately the decision is a personal one, based on a number of issues. Below are some of the issues you might want to consider when deciding whether to disclose your disability at work in the future and/or now to those helping you with information and career planning.
Why You May Choose To Disclose
Ursula is very keen to work with elderly people who have visual impairments and she believes her own experiences of managing a visual impairment will provide a valuable addition to her work. Therefore, she has decided to disclose her disability when speaking to prospective employers or employment agencies, to provide evidence of her skills and commitment to this work.
You may choose to disclose your disability to:
- meet employees and employers with disabilities to obtain information, experiences and suggested strategies in seeking employment.
- identify and access disability specific employment and recruitment schemes e.g. Willing and Able Mentoring initiative.
- discuss disability issues with prospective employers to determine whether the inherent requirements of the position could be met, with or without work-related adjustments, and what support services and supports are available in the organisation.
- obtain information about an organisation's employment equity strategies.
Why you may choose NOT to disclose
Sean has decided to investigate all employment options that are available to him now that he has successfully completed his degree in engineering. He has decided not to disclose his disability, because he feels that through his course he has developed a range of strategies and skills for assisting him to complete the broad range of tasks required of engineers. He has tested these skills in numerous field trips and practicums.
You may choose NOT to disclose your disability because you:
- believe that you can manage your career development plan and job seeking activities in the same way as any others.
- do not believe that disclosing would be helpful when researching your future career options.
- fear that you may be treated differently or may not receive the same opportunities as others.
- are able to access information and resources without disclosing your disability.
What to disclose
It is not essential to disclose specific medical or personal information about a disability. A person's disability is only important in so far as it may have an impact on some aspects of the inherent requirements of the chosen career and to help identify any workplace adjustments which may be required.
To whom should disclosure occur?
You may choose to disclose your disability when researching prospective career options. You may want to disclose your disability to the following people during this process:
- careers advisors, to assist in the development of an effective career plan and job opportunities.
- disability specific employment services and support networks, to assist in job seeking activities and opportunities and/or develop external support networks.
- professional registration boards, to identify professional registration requirements.
- employees and employers with disabilities, obtain specific disability and employment information, develop mentoring networks and other support structures.
- disability specific employment and recruitment schemes, to take advantage of equal employment opportunities and schemes.
- prospective employers, to assist in obtaining information about the organisation, the prospective position, equity programs, support structures and workplace adjustment schemes.
The purpose of disclosing
The main purpose of disclosure when researching a possible future career is to:
- obtain information about career options, skill requirements and career registration requirements to determine whether you can meet the job specifications of prospective positions of employment.
- assist in identifying possible work-related adjustments that may be required in positions of employment.
- discuss a particular position of employment with a prospective employer to obtain information about the requirements, organisational structure and/or support services.
Disclosure is most effective when people are clear about the purpose and the desired outcomes of disclosing. This ensures that disclosure occurs with the right person, in a timely and appropriate manner and with a clear goal in mind.
Your rights and responsibilities in disclosing your disability
You have a right to:
- have information about your disability treated confidentially and respectfully.
- seek information from organisations about equity policies, practices and strategies from potential employers prior to applying for positions of employment. These policies and practices may be available from public organisations and larger private organisations.
- choose to disclose your disability prior to applying for positions of employment to discuss specific requirements in relation to your disability or to discuss the inherent requirements of the position and how you will manage them effectively.
You have a responsibility to:
- be aware that disclosing prior to applying for a position does not remove your responsibility in disclosing your disability once in the position of employment IF you wish to implement work-related adjustments.