Students with Disabilities

In the employment arena, disclosing your disability is most effective within the context of presenting your qualifications for a particular position. Make use of Career Center resources to identify career interests and develop effective job search skills so that you are a strong candidate in your field.

Disclosing your disability and negotiating worksite accommodations is very different than the process you may have been using on campus for academic accommodations.

• Do career research to help you develop a good eye for the realities of the workplace in your field and your potential need for accommodations.
• Intern to field test your abilities and practice disclosing your disability. Having your internship supervisor as a reference is invaluable as well.
• Network with disabled professionals to hear success stories of disclosure and negotiating accommodations first hand and to get some practical advice.
• Read the Career Center Article Working Alumni with Non-Visible Disabilities Share Insights

Deciding When to Disclose

Deciding when to disclose your disability is your own personal decision. It can be made at any point during the job search process and even after you have begun working.

You can wait until you know what you need on the job before you disclose. In fact it helps if you have thought about some possible solutions to include in that first discussion. This isn't an issue of whether you are being honest or not, it's making sure you first understand the nature of the job so that you can identify and suggest appropriate accommodations. This shows the employer that you want to make sure you are a productive member of the team. Not disclosing at all is also an option, if you do not require any accommodations to perform the essential functions of the job.

After you identify the need for specific accommodations, the negotiation of accommodations is meant to be an on-going, interactive process.

There may be many factors to consider when deciding the timing of disclosure. Here are a just a few:

• You need accommodations during the interview process so that the employer can make the necessary arrangement ahead of time.
• Employers may be "disability friendly" and have a strong commitment to include disability in their diversity recruitment programs. They sincerely will want to know early in the process that you have a disability.
• If you are interviewing with a visible disability, an employer may hesitate to initiate disability-related discussions but may still be making assumptions about what you can or cannot do based on your disability.
• You may have a personal preference around disclosure and need to factor in your own level of comfort talking or not talking about your disability
• As a student you have been very active in disability-related organizations and it's very apparent from your resume that you have a disability

Again, there may be many influences on your decision to disclose and there is no formula for disclosure. Want some help with these issues?

• Contact Cal Transitions to talk over your own individual concerns.
• Read the online articles below to get a fuller picture of the ongoing debate surrounding the issue of disclosure.

Tips for disclosure

After deciding when to disclose your disability during the job search process, you would then need to do it effectively.

Disclosing your disability is most effective within the context of presenting your qualifications for a particular position. Use statements about your skills and abilities that include examples of previous successful accommodations and keep the focus of the discussion on the essential functions of the job.

Anticipate and address employer disability-related questions or concerns. Misconceptions about your disability most likely are nothing new to you and the same misconceptions may be influencing the interaction during an interview. Your own level of comfort with your disability and confidence in your qualifications will often put the employer at ease.

Be yourself. Know your strengths and make them known to the employer. A sense of humor, enthusiasm for your major, etc. conveys the most important message -- that you are first and foremost a bright Cal student -- who happens to have a disability.

Prepare and practice your disclosure.

Your Legal Rights

Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment

The legal definition of "reasonable accommodation" includes:

• Modifications or adjustments to a job application process or the work environment
• Modifications or adjustments to the manner or circumstances under which the position is customarily performed and
• The equal benefits and privileges of employment

This may include but is not limited to:

• Making existing facilities readily accessible or modifying work sites
• Job restructuring, having minor job duties eliminated
• Part-time or modified work schedules
• Modifications of examinations, training materials or policies
• Provision of readers and interpreters or specialized equipment and assistive devices

Online Articles Addressing Issues of Disclosure

There has always been much discussion and different opinions related to disclosure of disability related to the job search process. Below are several online articles on the topic.

• Disclosing Your Disability to an Employer
• Disclosing Your Psychiatric Disability to an Employer (Word doc)
• Disclosure in Employment settings
• Disclosure of Disability
• Employment Tips from the Jobs Accommodation Network

Access Unlimited - Information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Janweb - Helpful articles on a variety of ADA-related topics, including "Pre-Employment Testing and the ADA", "Health Benefit Plans and the ADA" and many others.

US Department of Justice - Comprehensive information about the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (WIIA) - Recent legislation designed to remove barriers that require people with disabilities to choose between health care coverage and work.

AbilityHub - Comprehensive information on adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers.

Assistive Technology Center (on campus) - Assists students in assessing, evaluating, applying and using a variety of assistive technology, computers and software that can offset the effects of a disability. (Website under contruction.)

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) - Fact Sheets from the Office of Disability and Employment Policy, US Department of Labor.

California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) - Provides financial support and job placement assistance to students with disabilities who qualify as clients. Contact the Berkeley office at (510) 883-6000 for more information. Current DR clients are entitled to help from the Client Assistance Program (CAP).

Center for Independent Living (Berkeley) - Provides monthly "Your Benefits While You Work" workshops, offering strategies and knowledge to help in navigating the system. Call 841-4776 for the latest schedule or consult their calendar.

Social Security Administration - Provides a Resources Toolkit to explain the work incentives for SSDI and SSI beneficiaries. "Work incentives" are special rules making it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive monthly payments and Medicare or Medicaid.

Access Unlimited - Links to disability-related information for chat rooms, mail lists and newsgroups.

Disability Resources Monthly Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet, by state

West Virginia Research and Training Center - Employment resources links for job seekers with disabilities.