Disability Disclosure
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To Tell or Not to Tell
by Sandy Lovejoy
When you're seriously engaged in finding a job in this competitive market and you have a disability, you have some soul-searching to do. If you have a physical disability that will be obvious as soon as you meet someone, the question is: At what point in the job-seeking process do you address the disability? If your disability is outwardly invisible, the question is: Do you tell or not?
When Your Disability Is Obvious
If you are responding to a job opening, make sure you're confident you can handle the job as you understand it, given the information you have at the point of applying. Will the ability to drive, see well, communicate without an interpreter, lift objects or help others get around be required? If you don't foresee a problem or if you know how to handle it, go for it.
There may be jobs or positions you have held in the past that prove your ability. If you know previous employers will give you positive recommendations and perhaps even note that your disability either didn't hinder you or gave you an extra leg up, you may feel confident discussing such information and even including it in your cover letters. For example, maybe you were able to work with others with similar disabilities or find ways to do the job that were helpful to other employees as well.
Some employers may pass you by, but others may be excited by your creativity and ability. Certainly bring that up in the interview as part of your strategy for selling yourself. By all means, come to the interview prepared to discuss how your particular disability will be an asset to the job or at least not a major handicap.
