Disclosure of disability
Duty to accommodate
Under the Ontario Human Rights Commision, employers have a duty to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities to make sure they have equal opportunities, equal access and can enjoy equal benefits. The goal of accommodation is to allow people to take part equally in employment.
Disclosing your disability
Disclosure is making your disability-related impacts known to others. This is usually for the purpose of requesting accommodations for those impacts to help minimize disability-related barriers to school, employment and volunteering. Choosing to disclose largely depends on individual circumstances and preferences. To inform your decision, refer to the Disclosing a Disability module for a comprehensive guide.
Tips for disclosure
Disclosure is your own personal choice. You decide if, how, when, and what to disclose about your disability to others. If you first need practice with disclosure, do it with someone you trust – a loved one, a friend, a counsellor or an Accessibility and Accommodations Specialist.
- Consider disability-related impacts that you may experience, and how you can communicate this to others if required (e.g. employer, accessibility office, professor, coach).
- Focus on your strengths, skills, qualifications and abilities. You can provide examples of how you have learned and adapted strategies to support your abilities.
- If you are unsure what accommodations may be appropriate for you, visit the Ask JAN - Job Accommodation Network website for different types of accommodations suitable for specific disability-related impacts.
- The online disability chart offers pros, cons and recommendations for disclosure.
- When disclosing, be concise, simple and straightforward. You do not need to go into detail about diagnosis, medical history, etc. Describe what accommodations or support you suspect you may need.
- Anticipate questions others may have about your disability. Prior to disclosing, consider how you will answer any questions, and offer examples.
