Should I disclose my disability to potential employers?

Accessibility: Antonia

standing in front of a

green tile wall. She is

wearing a mint blazer

and white lace top.

I want to start by saying that I realize this is a contentious issue in the disability community and that there is no right or wrong answer. I think everyone should do what they feel comfortable with. That being said, I have an opinion that has changed over the years and I have experienced everything from not disclosing at all to being open from the get go.

When I was younger, I was of the opinion I should not disclose my disability to a potential employer -ever. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, I am not required to disclose and potential employers, or employers, cannot ask. Of course, if I didn't disclose, I could not expect any reasonable accommodations. When I worked all my part-time jobs in college, I didn't ever share I had a disability. I didn't want to get a 'black mark' on my application and, what's worse, I felt like admitting that I needed accommodations was a sign of weakness. I felt that I had to prove myself at any cost; my visual impairment was not an impairment. Of course, most employers would figure out that I had vision issues, but they never offered any type of accommodations and, frankly, I don't think I would have taken them.

As I finished graduate school and started looking for full-time jobs, my opinion on whether I should disclose my disability to potential employers stayed pretty consistent. I chose not to say anything before getting a job offer. In the United States, a lot of companies require you to have a driver's license in order to apply for a job. Unless I was asked by a hiring manager, I would indicate in my application that I did have a driver's license. Obviously, I did not apply for jobs where driving was the main part of the job, such as pizza delivery or bus driver. Again, I felt that, even though potential employers could not legally discriminate against me for being legally blind, they would find another reason not to hire me.

However, at this stage in my life, I thought it was important to let employers know that I was legally blind once an offer was extended. I did not ask for any accommodations and only informed them that I wasn't able to drive. My experience was mixed. In some occasions I had to disclose before being hired because I was asked directly about a drive's license during a job interview. I have been hired inspite of not having a license for jobs where a license is 'required.' In hindsight, my mistake was downplaying what it meant to not be able to drive. So managers who thought were ok with my not driving, later found out that they were not and it became a very uncomfortable situation for all involved.

On other occasions, I did not disclose until I was hired, I again downplayed the fact that I couldn't drive and, whether they liked it or not, my new employers could not withdraw their offer. I have to say that I have had some wonderful managers who were very mindful about the fact that I could not drive. At the same time, I have also had others who have made it very difficult for me to do my job -even though driving was not part of my job duties; I would be left stranded at meetings or expected to get to places way faster than it was possible given the fact that I was taking the bus or Uber/Lyft.

This believe that I should not disclose was fueled by the idea that I would be discriminated against in my application. Have I been discriminated against once I have shared I don't have a driver's license with a hiring manager? Sure! Can I prove it? Nope. Nor is this post about discrimination in the workplace. In sharing my experiences, I hope to explain why I feel the way I do. In my mind, once I was hired, I was untouchable and could not be discriminated against. However, my experiences say otherwise...

Inspite of all this, in my most recent job search, I also felt that I should not disclose until I had a job offer in my hand. However, when I started using my cane, I began to question whether it was fair to my employers that I was not disclosing. What's more, was it fair to ME? I still thought that I might be discriminated against if I shared my disability and that my interviewers would just make assumptions as soon as they saw my cane. At the same time, I felt like I was lying or hiding something at my job interviews. I worried about what my prospective employer and coworkers would think if I showed up to an interview looking 'normal' and then, if hired, I came to work with a cane...

When discussing this issue, someone once told me, 'Potential employers can tell when something's off -even if they don't know what it is. That's what they will remember.' First of all, I have nystagmus (constant involuntary eye movements) and photophobia, (extreme light sensitivity) which means I squint very easily, without even noticing. If somebody is talking to me, they might see these things and think that something is off. Secondly, add the stress of me feeling like I was hiding something. Needless to say, I had some pretty disastrous job interviews.

Recently I decided to switch gears, partly because I had been looking for a job for a while and I wanted to try something new and partly because I am becoming more comfortable in my own skin. I started bringing my cane into job interviews and addressing the elephant in the room. I was very upfront about the fact that I am legally blind, what accommodations I may need and, most importantly, what not having a license means. At the same time, I used humor to defuse uncomfortable moments and made sure that the people in the room knew I was confident in myself and what I could accomplish. Honestly, these have been some of the best interviews I have ever had. I felt good in knowing that no one was going into this blind (well, maybe me!) and we all knew what to expect from each other.

I wouldn't want to work for an employer who might have discriminated against me in the selection process if they knew of my disability -chances are they will not be very accommodating once I get the job. I told myself that if I was called for an interview, it was because the company thought I had the qualifications and abilities to perform the job. My albinism and my vision impairment don't define me, but they are a part of who I am. It is in spite of my conditions that I excelled both academically and professionally. However, it is because of my conditions that I am an excellent problem-solver and outside-the-box thinker. When I embraced all these things and showed my potential employers that I do have a visual impairment, but that I am confident in myself and in my abilities, I was able to show the true me and start an honest relationship from the beginning. No one was keeping secrets, no one was taken by surprise or disappointed. What's more important, I knew that my employer would embrace my diversity instead of shying away from it.

Do you think you should disclose your disability to potential employers? How does seeing someone with a cane or other assistive devise change your perspective on that person?

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