Think Through the Decision to Disclose Your Disability

Each person's situation is different. Your disability may be either visible or non-apparent, and you may be able to perform important job duties on your own or only if a workplace accommodation is provided. Regardless of your personal circumstances, disability disclosure decisions can be complicated and stressful.

Disclosure, particularly in the case of a non-apparent disability, is NOT an all-or-nothing choice. You should be very selective in determining, on a case-by-case basis, IF to disclose and WHY. The amount of information that you share, and how it is presented, should be based on the reason you opted to disclose. Carefully think through the details surrounding each potential disclosure opportunity, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of revealing your disability, before deciding how to proceed. This is called “informed choice.”

Self-awareness is a critical part of effective disclosure. It's important to have a thorough understanding of your disability, strengths and limitations (both disability-related and otherwise), and what you need to successfully perform a job. This is discussed more fully in an earlier post, Are You a Job Seeker with a Disability?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Disclosure

Disclosing a disability may produce potential outcomes, both positive and negative, that should be thoroughly considered for each new situation.

Advantages
- Reasonable accommodations for the application process and/or in the workplace are only possible if you disclose your disability to the employer.
- In the case of a visible disability, disclosure can result in a more productive job interview. The employer will be less surprised, distracted, and uncomfortable – allowing him to focus more clearly on your skills and qualifications.
- The ADA can only protect you against discrimination if you disclosed your disability in advance of the alleged discrimination.
- An employer that is supportive of you and your disability can greatly enhance your job satisfaction and self-esteem.
- Disclosure enables you to more fully advocate for yourself, as well as other people with disabilities.
Disadvantages
- With your disclosure comes a loss of privacy.
- You may receive a negative reaction from an employer, and perhaps even discriminated against, during the hiring process or on-the-job.
- Your co-workers may exclude you, pay you excessive unwanted attention, or treat you differently because of your disability.
- You may be blamed for mistakes that were made by someone else, or – when you do make mistakes – it may be automatically blamed on your disability.
- Others may feel that you aren't being held to the same standards of performance as your peers, or that your reasonable accommodations are "special privileges."

Differing Opinions

Some people feel strongly that a disability should be disclosed only if and when it is necessary and/or in your best interest to do so. Specifically, they believe that, within an employment context, a disability should be revealed only in support of one or both of the following goals:

To participate fully in the hiring process in order to compete effectively against other job applicants (in other words, get hired!)
Once on-the-job, to perform a job's essential functions successfully.

But others believe that disclosure may be appropriate even if it does not directly contribute to successfully attaining and keeping a job. Here are some arguments that these individuals may make in favor of disclosure:

They feel that it would be dishonest not to disclose, even if it has no bearing on their work performance.
They'd find it too stressful to continually try to "hide" it.
They have a "just be yourself" attitude, and believe it is best to "lay their cards out on the table."
They accept their disability as part of who they are and are comfortable talking about it – either as a way of advocating for themselves or others, or because they’re more open with ALL details of their personal lives. (This does NOT mean, however, that someone who opts against disclosure is any less accepting or comfortable with his disability! Sometimes it’s simply a matter of personality differences.)
In the case of a visible disability, addressing it proactively allows them to exert some control on how it is presented and perceived (as opposed to "letting it speak for itself").

What Does All This Mean for You?

When making your own disclosure decisions, consider:

Your personality and comfort discussing your disability.
Whether the disability is visible or non-apparent.
Your strengths and weaknesses, both disability-related and otherwise.
Whether the essential functions of the job will be affected by your disability-related limitations.
If reasonable accommodations are needed to perform essential functions.
How you anticipate that the employer will react.
How confident you are in your ability to reassure the employer that you are qualified for the job.

You might also want to give serious thought to pursuing employment with contractors or subcontractors of the federal government. New regulations require these employers to take active and documented steps toward a 7% participation rate of employees with disabilities in their workplaces. As a result, you can be assured that these employers will welcome and support your disclosure.

Whether or not to disclose your disability is a very personal choice. While it can be helpful to ask for input from close friends, family members, or a job coach, the decision is ultimately yours and yours alone.