Disclosing disability in employment

Disclosure of disability during the application process can often be a subject of concern for disabled job applicants. Fortunately there are several sources of advice about disclosing disability. There is a helpful synopsis of the arguments in an information sheet on the Skill: National Bureau for Student's with Disabilities website www.skill.org.uk.

The main aspects for you to consider are the advantages and disadvantages in your specific situation. You need to weigh up:

• your entitlement under employment law to equality in recruitment and selection
• your requirement for reasonable adjustments during the selection process
• the employer's attitude to disabled applicants and employees
• your experiences of disclosure in the past
• your personal feelings about disclosure

When making a decision to disclose, it is also useful to identify if the organisation has been awarded the Disability Two Ticks symbol by Jobcentre Plus. If an employer uses this symbol, it means they are positive and committed to recruiting, training and retaining disabled people. For some employers the Disability Two Ticks Scheme includes a guaranteed interview for any disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a job. To apply through this scheme is does require applicants to disclosure their disability.

When you have read this section and thought about your approach to disclosure, you may want to talk with a specialist careers adviser who will be able to support you in your decision-making.