This might be a hot take but hear me out. 🔥
I 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 advocate for my mentees to disclose their disabilities when it is safe to do so. We’re not talking about companies that have a track record of NOT being safe. You know the ones.
Disability disclosure is for your protection. “Reasonable accommodations” looks different for every #disabled person and companies will be quick to say that they’ve done the “best” they can if you don’t have your paperwork in order.
Disclosing your disability, whenever you decide to do it, gives you legal protections against discrimination. That disclosure is a safety net, should you ever need it.
A quick example:
I’ve been managing my #epilepsy since I was teenager. I typically have work done well before deadlines because I know there’s an off chance that a seizure will cost me a day at any point. I have tons of checks and balances in place with my caregivers to make sure any “she had to step away from her desk and will return X” is communicated.
However, when I started a new job I was pinged on my quarterly review for being late or missing one or two meetings with another department. It wasn’t a huge deal with the company. I had reached out, covered the loss, and performed my responsibilities perfectly despite missing the meetings. However, my partners had only informed my team and my direct manager about my abrupt absence. So, the other department leader spoke up.
That was a quick note in an otherwise exemplary review but you can bet your bottom dollar that I went out and got my ADA paperwork immediately after. Despite the nonchalance that my wonderful manager conveyed this concern, I was hyperaware of the fact that it was on my “permanent record.”
The company had documented it. ✍🏿
It would be fantastic if #diversityInTheWorkplace left me with enough confidence to forego that documentation. But unfortunately, I’ve been burned too many times to trust in systems that weren’t designed for or by people like me.
Until I’m more confident in #dei initiatives and true #accessibilityForAll, I will continue to recommend disclosure to my community.