What is ‘Disclosure’?
What is disclosure?
Disclosure is often defined as ‘the act of making something known’ that may have previously been kept private. A personal decision, disclosing that you are disabled or neurodivergent, is not an obligation in the application process or the workplace.
Disclosure can often hold negative connotations. However, one of Able’s aims is to reframe this. Through empowering diverse talent, we hope that more people will feel comfortable sharing that they are disabled or neurodivergent and receive the necessary reasonable adjustments to perform at their best.
So, why share during the application process?
Firstly, when you disclose your disability, neurodiversity or adjustments that you require, this should remain confidential under the Data Protection Act 2018. Moreover, you are protected from discrimination under the Equality Act 2010; thus, sharing this information with a firm should not impact your chances of success.
Additionally, sharing this information with a firm lets them know what you need to perform at your best. Whether this is extra time to complete a situational judgement test or accessibility arrangements to attend an interview, such arrangements are important to ensure that disabled and neurodivergent candidates are not at an unfair disadvantage.
Alternatively, it may be helpful to share your disability/neurodiversity if you had mitigating circumstances when undergoing exams or to contextualise a gap in your CV.
Finally, being a neurodiverse or disabled candidate may mean you possess unique life experiences. Such experiences can demonstrate essential skills and values law firms are looking for. For example, you may be more adaptable or resilient. You may have had to problem-solve your way through a difficult time. As a result, you may want to include these examples in your application to demonstrate your strengths and the unique perspective you can bring to a firm.
When should you share?
Deciding when you share this information is a personal decision; however, examples may include during the application process, before an interview or after a job offer.
Within the application form, there may be a section to identify yourself as disabled/neurodivergent or inform the employer of any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the application process. In my own experience, I prefer to share my disability as early as possible to ensure that the employer has enough notice to provide my reasonable adjustments.
Alternatively, reaching out before an interview or assessment centre to ask for reasonable adjustments may make you feel more comfortable knowing that the interviewer is aware of your disability or neurodiversity. It would also ensure that you can perform at your best.
How should you share this information?
The organisation AHEAD offers an excellent free downloadable publication on their website featuring case studies and examples of how you could share your disability with your employer. You can find it by following this link: https://www.ahead.ie/disclosure.
Alternatively, My Plus Students Club are holding a free webinar – ‘Disclosing Your Disability to An Employer’ – on Tuesday, 3rd October, from 12 pm-1 pm. You can register using this link: Disclosing your disability to an employer: What, when, why and how - MyPlus Students' Club (myplusstudentsclub.com).
If you have any more tips or experiences you would like to share, please leave them below!
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Featured image courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash. No changes have been made to this image.
