Reframing the Disability Lens to Increase the Economic Stability
Of Youth and Families
Webinar 4: Non-Obvious Disabilities Disclosure
Tools and Resources
Tools You Can Use
These tools are for you to use and adapt to meet your own planning needs to align and coordinate with other systems to truly improve outcomes for these young people – who are most at-risk to face lifetime of dependency on public benefits.
Disclosure
What is Disclosure?
Disclosure is telling someone something that they did not know about you, such as having a disability. There are several things you need to consider:
• Why should you disclose?
• Who should you disclose to?
• When should you disclose?
• What should you disclose?
• How should you disclose?
The decision to disclose is personal, and you have the right to disclose or not disclose. This fact sheet will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing and give you suggestions on how to disclose.
Where might you need/want to disclose?
An individual may need to disclosure in order to receive additional supports and services at a college or university or in the workplace. They may also want for eligibility purposes since some programs are only available to individuals with disabilities. Proof of disability may be required, whether from a doctor or testing or other evidence.
Tips for disclosing:
• Prepare a script for disclosing and practice it with friends, family members or a counselor.
• Make sure you focus on your abilities and skills.
• You don’t have to give every detail about your disability.
• Be prepared to answer questions.
• Take information on your disability and accommodations.
• Review your job description and have a list of what you consider the essential functions of your job.
Laws and Regulations:
There are certain laws and regulations that protect your right to disclose. They are:
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Maryland Human Relations Law
You can learn more about these laws and regulations in the fact sheet entitled Disability Employment Law
Disclosure and Work
If you make the decision to disclose, there are things to keep in mind about what kind of information you want to tell. It is important and helpful to tell information about:
• how your disability affects your ability to do your job, and
• the environment supports and services you will need to do your job.
Be prepared to provide medical documentation related to your disability.
When should you disclose? You will need to disclose to receive an accommodation, if you do not require an accommodation you do not need to disclose. There are several points in the employment process when you could disclose your disability. The decision is up to you. The following is information to help you decide when the best time is for you.
Before the interview – If you are going to need an accommodation for the interview, you must tell the employer. For example, if you have a learning disability and you know that there is a test that is given during the interview, you might request that you take the test in a quiet area.
During the interview – Talking to the employer about your disability at the
interview will let them know what supports and services you need to do the job. Make sure you talk about your skills and give examples of what you will need to do the job. For example, if your desk needs to be raised to a specific height to have room for your wheelchair, you would want to discuss this with the employer.
After you have been offered a job – If you need an accommodation to do the job you are offered, you will need to tell your employer. For example, if the job requires a medical test and you are taking medications, you might want to disclose this information to your employer.
While you are working – Now that you are working at the job, you might realize that you need an accommodation. For the employer to give you the
accommodation, you will need to disclose. For example, if you are taking medication that makes you thirsty and you need to drink lots of water, you may have to take frequent bathroom breaks. You would want to talk with your employer about this.
Remember it may not necessary to disclose every detail of your disability, only the information that relates to your job functions and performance.
Once you have decided when to disclose, think about who you want to tell. If the reason you choose to disclose is to discuss accommodations, you will want to disclose to your supervisor and human resource manager. Whether or not to tell your co-workers is another decision to make. It is important to talk to these people in a private and comfortable place. Make sure that you have set aside enough time to discuss how your disability impacts your job, what accommodation(s) you are requesting and why. The person you are talking to might have questions, suggestions or concerns about the information you are telling them.
A good tip is to practice what you are going to say with a friend, family member, counselor or someone else. Make sure the information that you are going to share is clear and relates to your job.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Disclosure
Some of the advantages of disclosure are:
• It reduces stress. Many people say that it is more stressful trying to hide their disability than it is to tell.
• It makes it easier to talk about the accommodations you may need.
• You don’t have to worry that someone you used to work for, or a reference will tell that you have a disability.
• You will be able to talk to your employer if you have any changes in your situation.
• You can feel comfortable asking about health insurance and benefits.
Disadvantages of disclosing are:
• You could be treated differently.
• It could cause you to be overlooked for a promotion.
• Co-workers could ask you questions about your disability.
• You could be excluded from activities.
• You could worry about bad experiences that happened in the past happening again, such as losing a job or negative reactions from your co-workers.
• It can be difficult and sometimes embarrassing.
When considering whether to talk with an employer about your disability, talk with people you feel close to. Decide if you will need an accommodation to do the job, think about the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing and practice what you are going to say. You can learn more about your rights and responsibilities in the fact sheet entitled Your Rights and Responsibilities.
Discussion Questions
• How can individuals with non-obvious disabilities be better served where they are?
• Do they have to disclose? How can we better support youth who aren’t eligible for disability services? How do we work together to build capacity at America’s Job Centers?
• What next steps might we pursue, and what else is needed in terms of technical assistance or other support to move forward on these in your states?
Resources You Can Use
The resource below provides further information for you and your team to use to build your system and services to more effectively assist young people with disabilities aged 14-24 and their families to successfully transition out of the K-12 education into post secondary education or work.
Accommodation and Compliance Do’s and Don’ts
ADA & IT Information Center Mid-Atlantic Region
Voice / TTY: (800) 949-4232
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.adainfo.org
DisabilityInfo.org
www.DisabilityInfo.org is a website that has employment tips specific to job
seekers with disabilities. At www.DisabilityInfo.org you can find more information on disclosure.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Voice / TTY: (800) 526-7234
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jan.wvu.edu; https://askjan.org/
Maryland Department of Disabilities
Voice/TTY: (410) 767-3660
Voice/TTY: (800) 637-4113
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mdod.maryland.gov
Youth Resources website: www.mdtransitions.org
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
Voice: (866) 633-7365
TTY: (877) 889-5627
Website: www.dol.gov/odep
The 411 on Disability Disclosure for Youth
Youth Disability Disclosure Workbook
Youth Technical Assistance Center
Telephone: 202-822-8405 Ext. 144
Toll Free: 877-871-0744
TTY: 877-871-0665 (Toll Free)
Non-Obvious Disabilities Prevalence:
https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/invisible/
Non obvious toolkit by Margo and LeDerick – Is this the Path to Disability Pride picture?
How to Effectively Serve Youth and Families with Nonobvious Disabilities
Inclusive Design practices, reducing the need for disability specific services.
http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.XsPgYP9Kh0w
Knowledge is power: learning styles, what accommodations works best, any documentation such as copies of IEPs from school.
https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/?p=results
Disability pride/self-advocacy
https://ncil.org/disability-pride-toolkit-and-resource-guide/
Judy Heuman first posted that environments, at least as much as abilities, are responsible for someone being perceived as disabled and that at best, anyone is only ever “temporarily abled bodied.”
https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a31946513/judy-heumann-crip-camp-netflix/