Steps for Young People with Disabilities to Find Employment Success

For young people with disabilities, making the transition to a new employment situation is sometimes overwhelming. Even with a supportive employer, the challenges you face when starting a new job or learning to work with job accommodations can be difficult. Two of the biggest challenges are when to disclose a disability and how to ask for a job accommodation.

If you have just finished school and are getting a job, understanding the differences between school and work can seem daunting at times. At a job, you have to understand your strengths, limitations, and reasonable accommodation and assistive technology options, and figure out how to be successful in that context. Experiencing this stress for the first time may seem isolating; however, these feelings are something everyone has in common.

There is an incredible amount of information and resources available in different places that can help you if you are in this situation, including the Internet and social networks like Facebook. But with so much information available, how can you figure out what steps have actually been successful for other people?  The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, is a free, confidential service available to assist you with finding the tools and information you need. JAN’s services include helping you figure out when to disclose a disability and how to request a job accommodation. 

Disclosing a Disability

Telling your employer about a disability is a very personal decision, but some of the following tips may be helpful in making that decision.

Tip #1: Disclose when you need an accommodation

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you can request an accommodation at any time during the application process or while you are employed. Once you get a job, you can request an accommodation even if you did not ask for one during the job application process.  The problem is that deciding when to disclose can be difficult. If you have a hidden disability, such as brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder, this decision can be an even bigger dilemma.

You are not required to disclose your disability, but in general, you should disclose your disability when you need to request a reasonable accommodation - when you know that there is a workplace barrier that is preventing you, due to a disability, from competing for a job, performing a job, or gaining equal access to a benefit of employment like an employee lunch room or employee parking. In situations in which you need an accommodation in order to succeed, if you don’t request it, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Tip #2: Know whom to disclose to

Many employers have their own in-house procedures that detail how they handle accommodation requests. Check your employee handbook for this information. If there is no formal procedure, talk with your supervisor, manager, or human resources representative.

Tip #3: Know how to disclose

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), you only have to let your employer know that you need an adjustment or change at work for a reason related to a medical condition. You don’t have to use complex vocabulary or legal terms to make your request and you don’t have to mention the ADA or use the phrase "reasonable accommodation." Once you disclose, then your employer can ask for limited information about your disability and your need for accommodations.

Many people with hidden disabilities may feel that they are not being completely honest with an employer if they do not tell everything about their disability up front at the time of their interview. Just remember that you are not required to tell everything. When you disclose, just provide basic information about your condition, your limitations, and what accommodations you may need. Do not wait to disclose until after you begin to experience work performance problems. It is better to disclose your disability and request accommodations before your job performance suffers or conduct problems occur.

How to Request a Job Accommodation

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees and applicants with disabilities, unless such accommodations would be an undue hardship (e.g. too costly, too extensive, too substantial, too disruptive).

Tip #1: Take on the responsibility of asking

In general, the applicant or employee with a disability is responsible for letting the employer know that an accommodation is needed to participate in the application process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive equal benefits and privileges of employment. Employers are not required to provide accommodations if they are not aware of the need.

Tip #2: Put the request in writing

According to the EEOC, an accommodation request does not have to be in writing. However, the EEOC suggests that individuals with disabilities might find it useful to document accommodation requests in the event there is a dispute about whether or when they requested accommodation. One way to document an accommodation request is to make a written request, which could be a letter or even an email.

Tip #3: Provide your employer with relevant information in your written request

When formulating your accommodation request letter, consider the following content:

• Identify yourself as a person with a disability

• State that you are requesting accommodations under the ADA (or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if you are a federal employee)

• Identify your specific problematic job tasks

• Identify your accommodation ideas

• Request your employer's accommodation ideas

• Refer to attached medical documentation if appropriate

• Ask that your employer respond to your request in a reasonable amount of time

Remember that you have a right to keep information about your disability private. It is not necessary to inform coworkers and colleagues about your disability or your need for accommodations. Also remember that no one knows more about your disability than you do.

As a young person with a disability, America needs your energy, intelligence, and productivity to fill workforce shortages in growing industries such as the green, healthcare, and technology fields. By being aware of the tools that are available, you can help become a successful member of the workforce. You can learn more about reasonable accommodations and the Job Accommodation Network at AskJAN.org.

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