Disability and job hunting
Goldsmiths Careers Service recognises that each individual’s experience of disability is unique. Your disability may be one of the factors that influences the career you choose – it may not.
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Our helpsheet is a good starting point for guidance on disclosure, sourcing employers who are positive about disability, legal requirements and reasonable adjustments. We also recommend you book an appointment with a careers consultant where you can discuss
- Disclosure, if, when and how to talk about your disability, doing this effectively with confidence
- Your specific situation and how it relates to your working life
- Anything else to do with career planning
Please contact us by phone on 020 7919 7137 or pop into Careers: The SPACE if you need a double appointment or if you want the consultant to be aware of any specific adjustments.
Top tip: there are a number of specialist organisations that help people with a disability job hunt and you can find a list of disability confident employers on gov.uk. See our quick links sheet for more ideas and help.
For useful analysis, tips and interviews read this blog which shines a light on developments and issues in the area of disability.
Disclosure
You don’t have to disclose your disability when job hunting. You may want to let an employer know so that they can make reasonable adjustments in their recruitment processes. Disclosure will also enable you to request reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
- You can disclose at any point in the recruitment process
- You do not have to answer the question on an application form which asks if you have a disability
Once you have disclosed you are covered by the Equality Act 2010 and it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any employee who declares a disability. There is also a requirement to make reasonable adjustments.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide
- Will disclosure help me to have reasonable adjustments in the workplace or recruitment process?
- Do I want to use examples from my experience of disability to show resilience, determination and other desirable skills?
- Am I able to discuss my disability with confidence? We will help you with this.