What are the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability to a potential employer?

People with disabilities can be discriminated against

Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability to a potential employer?
Position‹2 of 2: Disadvantages of disclosing your disability
Argument1 of 2›: People with disabilities can be discriminated against

Discrimination still occurs. This can mean that people with disabilities may not get jobs despite being qualified or may lose jobs. It can also mean that they are misunderstood, treated differently, left out, or passed over for promotions/raises.

The argument

Unfortunately, legal protection does not mean that discrimination no longer occurs. Bosses and colleagues can discriminate against people with disabilities, and the law reaches conduct only once it has happened and only where it can be proved. In the extreme, this can mean not getting jobs despite being qualified or the loss of a job. The gap between the protection and the practice lies in what can be demonstrated. This discrimination isn’t legal, but employers can look for different justification to fire the person to avoid the appearance of discrimination. A hiring decision rarely comes with its reasons attached, and a dismissal can be given a reason that has nothing to do with disability, so the protection covers the cases that can be evidenced rather than the cases that occur. There are also many other ways discrimination can be seen, and most of them fall well below the threshold at which any remedy exists. People may not understand your illness and may make assumptions about you because of these preconceived ideas, especially with mental illnesses. This can result in negative peer relationships, being left out, being treated differently, and/or being overlooked for groups, which is daily conduct that shapes a working life and that no complaint could practically address. Additionally, anything that goes wrong may be blamed on the person’s disability, so a disclosure made once goes on colouring how ordinary setbacks are interpreted afterwards. It can also result in people being passed over for promotions or denied raises, where the loss is quiet and the reasons are never stated. A big disadvantage of disclosing your disability is that you could be discriminated against.

Premises

[P1]Legal protection does not stop discrimination: employers and colleagues can still deny qualified people jobs, fire them under other pretexts, or make damaging assumptions, especially about mental illness. [P2] Once a disability is disclosed, anything that goes wrong may be blamed on it, and the person can be overlooked for promotions and raises. [C] Because disclosure exposes people with disabilities to discrimination, that is a key disadvantage of disclosing your disability.

Counter-arguments

There are ways to protect yourself from discrimination. First, to avoid stereotypes or stigmas, people should not disclose their specific diagnosis. Second, it is smart to research the company before disclosing to see if they mention diversity, have been involved in disability-related organizations, have other employees with disabilities, and/or have a flexible or accepting culture. Finally, people with disabilities need to know their rights. They can even work with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) or with vocational rehabilitation services to help mediate.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Stereotypes or stigmas can be avoided if people don’t disclose their specific diagnosis.