Choosing to Disclose My Disability

1
Choosing to Disclose My Disability

• Disability Program Navigator

2
To Disclose or Not To Disclose?

• Choosing to disclose or not to disclose
• information about a disability is
  sometimes
• a difficult question to answer.

3
Disclosure of Disability

• Individuals decision no one has a right to
  release information about a persons disability
  except for the person Individual - decides
  when, how, what and to whom to release about the
  disability

4
Choosing to Disclose

• Job Seeker may choose not to disclose
• because
• Believes he/she can manage career development
  plan and job seeking the same way as others

5
Choosing Not to Disclose

• Does not believe disclosing would effective
  career plan or seeking employment
• Fears may be treated differently or may not
  receive same opportunities as others

6
Decision Making

• Decision Making Stage
• Prioritize and narrow down options
• Choose possibilities to pursue
• Determine careers services, agencies, friends
• and family who will assist with this process
• Time is required to reflect on choices

7
Disclosure Personal Plan

• STEPS to Disclosure
• Establish a career plan reflecting skills,
• abilities and interests
• Outline the choices to be made specific to
• disclosing
• Investigate of legislative rights
• Investigate responsibilities

8
Disclosure Personal Plan

• STEPS to Disclosure
• Investigate experiences of other employees with
  
• disabilities
• Investigate to find employers who may be
  supportive
• of individuals with disabilities
• Learn what services and support networks may
  assist
• in composing a plan to go to work including
  an outline
• for disclosure strategies

9
Factors when disclosing disability

• the type of disability
• the type of employment opportunity
• the need for adjustments to be implemented
  for the job interview

10
Factors when disclosing disability

• Whether the disability is apparent or not and how
  this might affect the prospective employer's
  judgment of the person's ability to perform
  particular duties
• The need for work place adjustments or supports
• The attitude(s) of the interviewer(s), co-workers
  or managers

11
Consequences of Disclosure

• As the individual considers disclosure of the
  disability, he/she needs to consider the possible
  outcomes of the disclosure.

12
Consequences of Disclosure

• Discrimination
• Attitudes
• Employee Responsibilities
• Employer Responsibilities

13
Discrimination

• fear that disclosure may result in
  discrimination or
• denied opportunities, such as a job promotion
  
• fear of being denied certain entitlements
• experience of being discriminated against in
  past positions
• of employment

14
Discrimination

• fear that the employer may focus on disability
  and not
• abilities
• fear that staff and management may treat them
  differently
• or negatively because of their disability
• fear that an employer will see them as a
  liability and a
• potential expense

15
Attitudes

• fear that their disability may provoke
  curiosity or
• unnecessary concern in others
• belief that employers may have preset and
• unrealistic attitudes about people with
  disabilities
• fear that they may be treated differently by
  
• colleagues, possibly patronized or given
  unfair
• advantages in the job

16
Attitudes

• the person may not have come to terms with
  their
• disability
• perceived or real lack of understanding in the
  workplace
• about disability issues
• fear of being marginalized, particularly with
  certain
• disabilities that are steeped in
  stereotypical attitudes

17
Attitudes

• fear they will be patronized
• feel that they will be treated more
• appropriately if they do not disclose
• because they won't be exposed to the
• attitudes and stigma associated with
• some disabilities

18
Responsibilities of the Employee

• Realizing there may not be a chance to
• negotiate work related adjustments
• If there is a crisis related to the persons
• disability such as deterioration in an
  existing
• disability or medical condition, it may be
• difficult to implement work related
• adjustments quickly

19
Responsibilities of the Employee

• If the disability is impacting on the job, an
  
• employer may perceive this as poor work
• performance and work related adjustments
• would not be implemented
• Guarded about informal personal
• discussions with colleagues for fear of
• disclosing their disability

20
Responsibilities of the Employee

• If the disability could reasonably be seen to
  cause
• a health and safety risk for other people in
  the
• workplace, failing to disclose that risk
  could be a
• breach of an employees obligations under the
• Occupational Health and Safety Act

21
Responsibilities of the Employee

• Individuals inability to use position and
• experiences to assist in raising the
  awareness
• and support of employment of people with
• disabilities

22
Employer Responsibilities

• Where an employee has not disclosed a
• disability, employers are not responsible for
  
• providing employment-related adjustments. It
  is
• not the responsibility of employers to
  justify why
• no employment related adjustments were
• provided during the period when the employee
• had not disclosed their disability.