How to disclose your disability when you apply for a job (if you want to)
A question we have all asked ourselves is: how should I disclose my disability in my job application? You may even have asked yourself: should I disclose it at all?
When considering if and when to disclose your disability, here are two key things to remember
First of all, you are protected by the law. The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone based on their disability. This includes disabled applicants looking for jobs. As such, it is illegal for a potential employer to reject your application based on the fact that you are disabled.
Second, you choose what to share. If you want to disclose your disability, there is no requirement about how much or how little you share. You can disclose whatever you feel is necessary at any point.
You may feel more comfortable disclosing the bare minimum at first and then disclosing more as time passes. You may want to disclose only the details necessary for your reasonable adjustments. Or you may even be happy disclosing everything about your disability from the very beginning. Whatever you choose to disclose, at whichever moment/s you feel ready, is enough.
So, here are just a few of the ways you CAN disclose your disability.
If you want to ask for reasonable adjustments at interview:
This is a great way to ensure that details of your disability are not missed by recruiters when skimming through your CV and cover letter.
A lot of disabled people need reasonable adjustments at interviews, but you may not have thought about these before. Ask yourself, are you most productive at a certain time? Is there anything about the process that stresses you out? Use this to ask for adjustments that can be made.
This could look like:
Dear (Recruiter/Interviewer),
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you to apply for the role (job title of the role you are applying for).
I have a hidden disability, for which I do not require any reasonable adjustments to be made at the interview / I would benefit from having the interview questions 48 prior to the interview / I struggle to maintain eye contact during interview processes, this is not reflective of my attention or professionalism / I would benefit from an interview between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm.
Please find attached my CV and Covering Letter. I thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.
Many Thanks,
(Your Name)
If you want to apply via Disability Confident
Although it is common knowledge that there are many flaws with the scheme, you may decide to use this scheme to your advantage. If a role advertises Disability Confident, they must by law interview you if you meet the minimum requirements.
This could look like this:
Dear (Recruiter/Interviewer),
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you to apply for the role (job title of the role you are applying for). I will be making this application via the Disability Confident Scheme explicitly advertised in the job description as I identify as disabled.
My reasonable adjustments are:
Short breaks throughout the day /
Flexible Hours /
One day a week working from home /
Allowed to listen to music during working hours /
Working hours beginning at 11 am/
Closed captions for all online meetings /
A modified office chair for chronic pain /
An adapted keyboard for arthritis /
Allowing oral work to be converted to written work / etc.
Please find attached my CV and Covering Letter. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for your consideration,
(Your Name)
If you want to disclose in your cover letter:
Your disability is a strength and can be showcased as one in your cover letter.
A section in a cover letter could look like this:
…I have overcome many barriers to work as a disabled individual. Pushing back against assumptions about disabled people became a full-time occupation, alongside my actual job (go into relevant details)…
…Working whilst undergoing extensive medical treatment and having an energy limiting condition has allowed me to (how this makes you an asset)…
…As a member of the disabled community I was an advocate in the workplace:
Eg. I spearheaded the creation of regular meetings to evaluate the needs of disabled employees / I created an environment in which reasonable adjustments were understood as necessary and fluid…
…I overcame (barriers you encountered as a disabled employee) by (action you took to push against these or remove yourself from the prejudicial environment)…
…As someone with (your disability), I have intimate knowledge of the type of challenges we face, I believe this makes me perfectly suited to manage projects / create content / facilitate events in an inclusive way.
If you want to disclose in your CV:
Showcase your disability as your strength. You working around your disability shows that you are able to overcome obstacles, all while successfully building a career.
Here’s an example of how this might be integrated.
(Employer) (Job title) (start date – end date) (Location)
Created digital content about navigating the world of complex disability by drawing on my own experiences as a person with (your disability). /
Facilitated discussions about the lived experience of disabled workers, enhancing the inclusive culture between employees and managers in the workplace. /
Co-ordinated bi-yearly projects related to disability to produce articles, seminars and posters with specific and well-researched information so as to enable the development of more detailed content aimed at specifically disability lived experiences. /
Progressed in my career whilst managing my disability. Consistently producing high-quality content whilst working from home. /
Developed company-wide accessible marketing habits. Including closed captions, audio recordings, online events, recorded events available after the fact, disabled models, and various other strategies.
Remember, disclosing your disability is your choice. It is not something that you have to do. Ahead of applying, think about reaching out to any disabled employees you can find on LinkedIn, or look at reviews on services like Glassdoor.
Ready to update your CV and Cover Letter? Head over to the SIC shop to download our CV and Cover Letter Guide for disabled professionals.