Disclosing Your Disability

Take time to think about the pros and cons of sharing your disability with your potential new boss or work mates. The Disclosing Your Disability Worksheet can help you approach this important topic.

What Your Employer Can Ask

The Americans with Disabilities Act does not allow employers to ask questions about whether you have a disability before making a job offer (i.e., the pre-offer period). They cannot directly ask about this in written questionnaires, during interviews, or any medical examinations. However, such questions and medical examinations are permitted after extending a job offer but before the individual begins work (i.e., the post-offer period). For more information, visit this fact sheet: Job Seekers and ADA Accommodations.

Tools

Use this planning tool to help you figure out if you want to disclose your disability, when to do it, and with whom.

Disclosing Your Disability Worksheet Disclosing Your Disablity Planning Tool Word Doc Download Disclosing Your Disablity Planning Tool PDF Download
 

Accommodation and Compliance: Disability Disclosure - Job Accommodation Network (JAN) provides an overview of the do's and don'ts of disclosure.