disclosing your disability...or not

YMCA EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

DISCLOSING YOUR DISABILITY…

OR NOT

PowerPoint Created by: Carrie Alexander, Employment Placement Consultant

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Material in this workshop is based upon:

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability“The 411 on Disability Disclosure Workbook”

Washington, DCInstitute for Educational Leadership

2. Outline the benefits and concerns about disclosure3. Help you make an informed choice about disclosing your disability4. Help you create a script to talk about your disability and reasonable accommodations (if you choose to disclose)

GOALS

1. Define disclosure (within a workplace setting) and key terms on this topic

TERMINOLOGY

• Disclosure• Accommodation• Informed choice• Self-determination

DISCLOSURE“to open up, to reveal or to tell”

• Very personal choice• Should be an informed choice• Usually done in order to receive

accommodations• If you do not require accommodations,

it is generally not necessary to tell people about your disability

ACCOMMODATION

• A strategy that gets rid of or lessens the effect of a specific barrier

• Any change or modification to an environment that makes it possible for an individual with a disability to enjoy an equal opportunity

THREE BASIC TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIONS

1. Changes to facilities and equipment (ramps, large print, assistive technology)

2. Provision of special services (ASL interpreters, job coach)

3. Creative thinking and problem solving (flexible schedule, work from home)

INFORMED CHOICE

The process of making a decision after considering relevant facts and weighing the pros and cons (positives and negatives)

ACTIVITY:What do you know about yourself and your disability?

SELF-DETERMINATION

The desire, ability and practice of directing one’s own life. It is often referred to as “The BIG Picture” because it has so much to with the person you are and the person you want to be.

SELF-DETERMINATION

A self-determined person can:• See options• Solve problems• Speak for him or herself• Understand required supports and• Evaluate outcomes

SELF-DETERMINATION

Self-determined people:• Respect themselves• Accept themselves• Value themselves for who

they are and what they have to offer others

• More easily identify long and short-term goals

A self-determined person:• Understands their strengths• Can describe their strengths to others• Understands their disability and limitations• Discloses (or doesn’t disclose) their disability

to others• Knows which accommodations are effective

SELF-DETERMINATION

DISADVANTAGES TO DISCLOSING

• May cause you to relive bad past experiences • Can lead to feeling of exclusion• Some people may become more curious

about you• Might get treated differently

than others• Some people could think that you

are needy or unable to do the job like everyone else

DISADVANTAGES TO DISCLOSING

• People might blame you if something goes wrong

• Can bring up feelings about your self-image

• May cause you to be overlooked for a job or promotion

• It can be difficult and embarrassing

ADVANTAGES TO DISCLOSING

Allows you to:• Receive reasonable

accommodations so that you can work more effectively

• Reduce stress since you are no longer protecting a “secret”

• Be legally protected against discrimination

• Increase your comfort level

ADVANTAGES TO DISCLOSING

• Have a clearer impression of what kinds of expectations people may have of you and your disability

• Ensures you are getting what you need to be successful

• Greater freedom to communicate should you face changes on the job

• Improves self-image though self-advocacy (being able to stand up for yourself)

ACTIVITY: Disclosure examples (page 7-10)

HOW TO DISCLOSE

It is best to disclose:• How your disability affects

your capacity to learn and perform effectively

• The environment, supports and services you’ll need in order to access, participate and excel at work

GETTING READY TO DISCLOSE

In your own words:• Start by mentioning some of

your strengths• Briefly and clearly share your

own disability• How may your disability affect

your work?• What accommodations will

help? Share how this will make you a better employee

• Is the person in a supervisory role and will he/she support me?

• What experiences does this person have with similar disclosure situations

• Do I respect this person and will they keep my disclosure confidential?

WHO SHOULD YOU TALK TOQuestions to consider

• Does this person have the power to determine how reasonable the request is for the accommodation?

• Can the person provide the required accommodation(s)?

• Is the person responsible for hiring, promoting or firing?

WHO SHOULD YOU TALK TOQuestions to consider, continued…

TIMING

• Select a private, confidential, comfortable place to disclose

• Allow enough time to discuss the impact of your disability

• The person(s) to whom you are disclosing may have questions, suggestions or concerns that require more time for discussion

Remember:

ACTIVITY: Practice Script (page 7-13)

PRACTICE SCRIPT

Having a disclosure “script” and practicing it with friends, relatives and mentors will be of great benefit to you when the time actually comes to discuss your disability at work Most people find it easier to talk about

the effect of their disability than using clinical terms

REMEMBER…

Your decision to disclose your disability may change based on: • the particular person• situation or setting• need for accommodations

Trust your instincts!

FINAL THOUGHT