Customized employment and disclosure.Parts 1

  

 
Jobs Employment, Career Job, Employment Job

by Inge, K. & Targett, P.

   A key component of customized employment in-
volves negotiating an individualized employment re-
lationship between a job seeker and an employer in
ways that meet the needs of both. The process involves
identifying tasks that must be completed to effective-
ly conduct business and matching them to the unique
abilities and interests of the job candidate. This will
require employers to consider how existing tasks or
unmet needs in the workplace can be accomplished in
new or different ways than have traditionally occurred.
   Some people with disabilities may be able to nego-
tiate an individualized job description without support.
Others may need an employment specialist to assist
them in making the proposal. In either case, employers
will have questions regarding why a person is asking to
customize his or her job. This may require disclosing
the job seeker’s disability.
   Disclosing a disability may be a major cause of anx-
iety or concern for people with disabilities as well as
those who assist them when looking for a job. Keep
in mind that customization begins with the unique con-
tributions that the person brings to the company and
not from a charity perspective. Therefore, it is very
important to consider how an individual will disclose
his or her disability as well as when and what will be
disclosed. This customized employment corner will
provide information about some key considerations for
achieving effective disclosure in employment settings.

1. Question: Why should an individual consider
   disclosing his or her disability?
   Answer: Access to an accommodation in the work-
place is often dependent on a person’s disclosure of dis-
ability related needs. Individuals with visible or hidden
disabilities, who know that they will need work-related
accommodations including an individualized job de-
scription, should plan to disclose. If an accommoda-
tion is needed, the job seeker with his/her employment
specialist must plan how and when to tell potential em-
ployers about the disability and be prepared to discuss
support needs.
   Obtaining written authorization/consent to disclose
and a description of what is to be disclosed must be
obtained voluntarily from the individual prior to job ne-
gotiations. An employment specialist can ensure that
communications focus on the person’s abilities and the
proposed solutions that will allow the individual to suc-
cessfully complete the negotiated work tasks. Unless
accompanied by potential solutions, disclosure of a dis-
ability can unintentionally lead to exclusion from cer-
tain types of jobs and/or employment discrimination.
   As an example, a person with mental illness may
need release time during the week for medical appoint-
ments that occur on a regular basis. Disclosure of the
disability would be appropriate when asking for a flex-
ible 40-hour work week. If an employee continually
asked for time off from work without disclosing, the
employer may have a much different attitude towards
the individual’s performance than if the accommoda-
tion request had been made. The request might include
how the individual would be able to perform the es-
sential functions of the negotiated job with this accom-modation. The individual would not need to provide
details of the medical diagnosis and treatment that are
not related to the accommodation request.
   Jobseekers who have a visible disability may want
to discuss their disabilities with an employer to avoid
misunderstanding or labeling. Or, the person may want
to disclose a disability to eliminate curiosity or unnec-
essary concern from coworkers. Some people may use
disclosure to create an opportunity for educating others
about disability and its impact. Disclosure also pro-
vides an opportunity to learn more about the business’
disability related services and supports.