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Disclosing a disability

You don’t generally need to disclose to an employer medical or personal information about your disability. The choice to disclose is yours unless adjustments must be made for you to complete the main tasks of your job, or your disability jeopardises workplace safety.

The law relating to disability in Australia

The Federal Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) protects all people in Australia from discrimination in the workplace.

Employers must provide reasonable, work-related adjustments to enable people to perform the requirements of their job. An exception to this is when the adjustments would cause hardship to the employer, such as disproportionate cost.

Information about a disability is confidential and protected by the DDA, as well as state and federal information privacy acts. You must first consent to the sharing of any information and, if shared, it must be kept confidential.

Choosing to disclose

Here are some reasons you might choose to disclose your disability:

you want adjustments to the application process or the workplace environment
your employer has equal opportunity policies or disability statements and is keen to increase the diversity of their workforce
you have a disability that will be noticeable at interview and you want to explain it positively in your application beforehand
you want to explain your disability and be clear about your needs
you may need to explain aspects of your resumé (e.g. a gap in your education or employment due to a rehabilitation period).

Choosing not to disclose

Reasons for choosing not to disclose your disability include:

your disability has no effect on your ability to complete the application process or do the job
you feel uncomfortable discussing your disability with a stranger
you’re concerned the employer may have a negative attitude or misconception about disability.

How to disclose

Be clear about what you hope to achieve from disclosing. Your disclosure should highlight your ability to do the work and minimise the issues relating to your disability.

When discussing the adjustments you need in the workplace, explain clearly how they can be set up. Think about suggesting vendors or service providers.

When to disclose

Consider who needs the information. At each stage of the application process, you will be dealing with different people. Each may require different information delivered in a specific way.

Application forms often ask direct questions about disability. You may feel that your disability has led to life experiences that enhance your ability to do a job.
Example: I have become adept at picking up new software, as seen with my use of specialist voice-activated text input software, which I find helpful given my carpal tunnel syndrome.
You often need to provide a cover letter as a part of your application. You might mention your disability in a paragraph relating to a skills area that you have developed in relation to your disability.
Example: I have become skilled in training people as seen with my regular training of personal assistants to help me with my personal care needs due to multiple sclerosis.
Some jobs have a health questionnaire that may ask questions related to disability. If the medical form is compulsory you’ll have to answer honestly, especially as the questions may relate to occupational health and safety issues. Your information must be treated confidentially and sensitively.
Example: To ensure my safety and the safety of others, it’s important that I can use my visual fire alarm device in the workplace as my hearing impairment affects how quickly I respond to fire alarms.
Some employers have a separate equal opportunity monitoring form that all applicants must complete. Forms such as these ensure that organisations employ a diverse cross-section of individuals from society, in regard to race, religion, gender, disability and other factors. They are separate to your job application forms and usually remain within the human resources department.
You may need adjustments made for an interview. Contact the appropriate person, such as the human resources officer or the convener of the interview panel. Give them as much warning as possible so they have time to implement the changes. This will also show how you can manage matters relating to your disability.
Example: I received notification of an interview and test on June 6 and I just want to let you know that I’ll need the text of the test to be in a size 18 font due to my visual impairment. Or, if you don’t have a digital copy, enlarging the test on a photocopier to 140% would also be fine.
You might decide it’s easier and more natural to talk about your disability at the interview. If you have a noticeable disability, it may be useful to prepare something to say.
Example: You’ve noticed that I use a walking aid – this is due to congenital scoliosis. To support this, I only need a standard ergonomically correct office chair.
You might not need to disclose your disability until you’ve actually received a job offer, as you believe it’ll have limited impact on your work, but with a need for some workplace adjustments. In this case, best to let your employer know as soon as possible.
Example: I thought it might be helpful for you to know that I’ve been diagnosed as having dyslexia. This doesn’t affect my written work, as you’ll have seen from my application and test. But I’ll need speech-to-text functionality on my laptop, to help me write more efficiently.

Want some advice?

You can talk to someone at Disability Support Services to help you make a decision about disclosure. Or you can look for information outside Monash:

Australian Disability Network on Disability.

Funding for assistive technology or non-medical helper

Government employment assistance funding may cover the cost of work-related modifications, adaptive equipment and communication devices. The funding may also cover the costs of services such as Auslan interpreting and training in disability awareness, deafness awareness and mental health first aid.

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