Disability Disclosure
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When You Have a Hidden Disability
This is a trickier issue. For the most part, the common wisdom is not to disclose prior to receiving a job offer. Interviewers are not allowed to ask you direct questions about whether you have a disability. That doesn't mean you might not get asked indirectly. So be ready for any possibility.
When getting ready for the interview:
Be prepared to talk about your disability if you are somehow asked a direct question, or if you get a hunch during the interview that it will not negatively affect your candidacy.
Be prepared to handle questions about gaps in your work history if you have been out of work due to illness or psychiatric hospitalisation.
Keep it simple and short. Don't dwell on the problems, but do acknowledge them. Talk about how you imagine you will handle the job and the disability.
Highlight skills and experience you have that make the disability less relevant or problematic.
Find a few people you trust (if you can, include at least one person who has experience hiring) to listen to your prepared answers. Take their feedback seriously.
You may not need to use this material during the interview, but you will be more confident if you feel prepared to answer any potential question.
You have difficult decisions when your disability is one that carries a stigma, such as mental illness, a developmental disability, dyslexia, ADHD, communication disorders and other "mental" disorders, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. People uneducated about your disability may make assumptions or have unwarranted fears. Talk to others like you for ideas and support. Check Web sites for your particular disability if disclosure is an issue for you. Here are a few possibilities:
Remember: You are a person with unique experiences and talents. Make sure this is firmly planted in your mind before you go to an interview, and find a way to showcase those talents at that important meeting.
See Monster's Equality and Diversity Forum
