Four ways to encourage disability disclosure

Did you know that 9.5 million people across the UK live with a non-visible health condition? Or that 1 in 7 people are managing an invisible medical condition alongside their jobs?  

Hidden disabilities are more common than you might think. The chances are, you have a disabled person on your team without knowing it.

According to a study by healthcare provider Bupa, two in five (43%) of employees with invisible disabilities choose not to disclose their conditions to employers.

To improve self-identification rates, organisations need to make disability inclusion a priority.

Before we delve into how to do that, let’s go back to basics.

What is an invisible disability?

As the name suggests, invisible, or non-visible disabilities are health conditions that aren’t immediately obvious.

For example:

• mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder

• autism and Asperger’s syndrome

• visual impairments

• hearing loss

• sensory and processing difficulties

• cognitive impairment, including dementia, traumatic brain injury, or learning disabilities

• diabetes, chronic pain, respiratory conditions, incontinence

The impact of hidden disabilities in the workplace

Unfortunately, people can be quick to judge, misunderstand, and make assumptions if they can’t see evidence of someone’s condition.

For example, someone with chronic fatigue may be perceived as lazy if they need to take regular rests during the day. And someone with autism may communicate differently and be misunderstood by colleagues.

This prejudice is damaging, not just to applicants with disabilities, but to the productivity and cohesiveness of the wider team.

So, what can we do to encourage people to disclose?

Here are four tips:

1. Become a disability confident employer

Disability Confident is a free government initiative designed to encourage employers to recognise the talents that disabled people can bring to their teams.

The scheme benefits employers by:

• Increasing the number of high-quality candidates applying for roles

• Creating a workforce that reflects the diverse range of people it serves

• Improving staff morale, commitment, and loyalty by demonstrating that your organisation treats all employees fairly

  
  on the other hand, can be confident in the knowledge that:
  

• Their disability won’t put them at a disadvantage

• The workplace is inclusive

• They will be treated equally and fairly

However, becoming disability confident can’t be a tick-box exercise. Beyond signing up, you need to implement inclusive policies, take a firm line on ableism, and let it be known to people at the recruitment stage that you walk the walk when it comes to your disability confident status.

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme here. 

2. Provide company-wide disability awareness training

As we said earlier, a lack of awareness and understanding of invisible disabilities can result in prejudice and resentment – neither of which are conducive to a happy, healthy workforce.

Disability awareness training can help create a more understanding, open and supportive environment.

Enhance the UK  (a charity run by disabled people) helps organisations become more inclusive by using their lived experience to challenge stereotypes and provide

They use their lived experience to challenge perceptions and educate teams via fun interactive training sessions and workshops.

In addition to face to face and virtual disability awareness training they offer British Sign language workshops, access audits, and bespoke ‘lunch and learn’ sessions.

3.      Highlight invisible disabilities with signage

Disability awareness posters are a low-cost and effective way to remind people that ‘not all disabilities are visible’. They will also reinforce the fact you’re an inclusive employer. 

Make staff aware of the benefits of disclosure

Knowing about the Equality Act, understanding what constitutes discrimination, and being aware of reasonable adjustments can give employees the confidence to disclose. Here are some actions to consider taking:

• Provide training that covers the Equality Act and reasonable adjustments

• Promote the government-run Access to Work Scheme.

• Make sure you have a reasonable adjustment policy in place

So, it’s important to promote the definition of disability and show understanding. You can achieve this within disability awareness training sessions or induction materials.

4. Provide regular opportunities to disclose

For some employees, deciding to disclose a disability is a gradual process. It may start with checking the “yes” box on an anonymous survey, then disclosing it to a manager, and then to colleagues.

People often base their decision on the workplace culture and how they see other employees with disabilities being treated. 

Provide employees with regular opportunities to disclose. At each stage in the recruitment process and on a semi-regular basis during their employment, ask employees if they have any special requirements.

Some people may be uncomfortable disclosing face to face, so give them options. You could set up a dedicated ‘disclosure’ email address or include the option to disclose on staff surveys.

Final Word

Employees shouldn’t be afraid to disclose their disabilities – visible or non-visible. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to make them feel safe to do so. Being proactive about disability inclusion and implementing the ideas above will go a long way to achieving it.