Sharing information about your disability
The decisions you make about sharing information about your disability with an employer will be personal to you and there are likely to be positives and negatives connected with each choice. We recommend you are guided by knowing you are the expert in your own condition(s) and therefore understand your needs better than anyone, and to be aware of the potential benefits of sharing your information.
Why share your information?
- You are immediately protected by the Equality Act which obliges recruiters to provide adjustments.
- Many recruiters are committed to employing disabled applicants and actively recruit them to demonstrate their commitment to a diverse workforce and to reflect their customer base. Look out for the Disability Confident symbol on job advertisements, check out employers’ equality policies and seek out any commitments they make on their Diversity, Equality and Inclusion web pages.
- Using the Disability Confident symbol means that these recruiters are proactive about employing disabled people and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the job.
- It can be beneficial to use positive examples related to your disability in response to the competency questions which often feature on application forms. For example, you can demonstrate how you have successfully managed difficult challenges, or completed your degree despite having to take time off for health reasons. There may also be scenarios you can share on managing your time effectively by balancing studies with medical appointments or adapting to new circumstances with a diagnosis.
- There are financial schemes available such as the Access to Work grant, which helps to pay for practical support if needed to do your job.
- You may feel more comfortable knowing that you have been open and not kept anything back from the employer.
Why not?
You may feel that:
- You will be discriminated against and rejected by employers with pre-set ideas about the effects of disability and that your application will not be viewed on its own merits.
- You do not wish to discuss your disability with a stranger.
- Your disability has nothing to do with your ability to do the job, so why draw attention to it.
- An employer will not view your application objectively and will focus on your disability rather than your abilities.
- An employer will be concerned about the implications of your disability in terms of requiring additional time off through illness, specialist equipment etc.
Whatever your views are, it is worth exploring these in a confidential way by booking a 60 minute guidance appointment with a Careers Consultant. This is your personal information so it is entirely your decision when and how you share it, but however you proceed, be positive, confident, and unapologetic.
