Career resources for students with disabilities

Navigating the early stages of your career can be a challenging but empowering process. Developing an awareness of personal strengths and effective ways to communicate them can help ensure that your skills and talents are recognized and valued by employers. 

As you consider where you want to work and what you want to do, it’s important to look for work environments and roles that recognize and value your strengths and abilities. If you are a person with a disability, you have the legal right to request workplace accommodations—adjustments or supports that enable you to perform your job to the best of your ability. 

Requesting accommodations is a collaborative process with your employer and may require sharing information about your needs. However, what and how much you disclose about your disability is your decision. Not everyone will need accommodations, but knowing your rights and options can help ensure your success at work.

Find more resources, such as guest speaker series and mentorship opportunities, in our Disability Specific Career Development Program Canvas course.

Understanding disability

When it comes to the world of work, there isn’t a single agreed-upon definition of disability. Disability can be temporary, short-term or chronic, invisible or visible. It can also include both physical and mental health conditions. 

The most widely accepted definition comes from the World Health Organization. According to the 2013 Federal Disability Reference Guide, disability is an “umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations”.

You do not need to be registered with the UBC Centre for Accessibility to get workplace accommodations from an employer.

Individuals with disabilities are protected under Canadian provincial and federal laws. For employees or job seekers in British Columbia (BC), you are protected under the BC Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The Canadian Human Rights Act provides human rights protections for individuals based on the following grounds: race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered.

The Act makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on a disability. This means that individuals cannot be treated unfairly in areas like employment or services because of a disability.

Each province in Canada has a Human Rights Code which provides legal protections to protected groups. In British Columbia, for example, the BC Human Rights Code establishes legal protections to employees and individuals seeking employment to be free from discrimination and harassment in all areas of recruitment, hiring, and employment, including discrimination based on race, colour, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, creed, and age.

Under these regulations, employers have a duty to accommodate your disability unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Undue hardship is determined by the courts through the assessment of financial costs, health and safety risks, and the size and flexibility of the workplace.

An employer is not required to accommodate for bona fide occupational requirements, which are requirements of a role or qualifications needed to ensure efficient and safe completion of the task at hand.

What an employer can ask

If you choose to disclose your disability, an employer is entitled to ask for clarification about the following:

  • How your disability will impact your ability to perform the duties of the job
  • Types of accommodation that may be required
  • Medical documentation about how your disability is likely to change over time. 

Any requests for medical documentation must protect your privacy and focus only on what accommodations you need.

Connect with the Centre for Accessibility for guidance on requests related to medical documentation.

For more information about your employer’s obligations, refer to the in-depth National Educational Association of Disabled Students guide on duty of accommodation and disclosure. 

Disclosure and requests for accommodations

Disclosure

Disclosure refers to telling an employer about your disability or chronic health condition. It is a choice and not always necessary. The most important factor in deciding whether or not to disclose to an employer is your ability to do the job. If you will require an accommodation to complete the job, you should highly consider disclosing, in order to be successful in your role. It is often possible to disclose your disability to an HR representative rather than your manager, which can be advantageous if you are unsure about how your manager will respond. 

Remember that you are the expert of your situation. An employer may be able to help you identify possible accommodations, but they will rely on you to identify your unique needs and the support that will work best for you. 

If you’re interested in discussing disclosure, get in touch with an advisor, coach, or your peer communities who may even be able to help you practice your approach and disclosure statements. Advisors at the UBC Career Centre can assist in navigating this process or act as a listening ear. Reach out to career.centre@ubc.ca and mention you’d like to discuss disability disclosure in the workplace. 

Consider joining the Disability-Specific Career Development Program Canvas course for more information and recorded sessions on disclosure and other related topics.

Disclosure options

It’s important to know that disclosure is not a one-time decision—if your needs change, you can choose to disclose or seek accommodations later on. This can be especially relevant for people who come to recognize a disability or support need after they’ve already started in a role. Your journey is your own, and support is available whenever you’re ready.

Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing during different milestones of the job search and interview process.

Advantages

Disclosing at this time may give you a chance to highlight strengths that come from your disability.

It may be worthwhile if the employer is recruiting for diversity or has an active diversity policy in their hiring processes.

Disadvantages

There is limited space to describe your abilities and outline any accommodation requests. You also do not have the opportunity to address employers’ potential concerns.

The employer may decide not to move forward with your application, especially if they can’t understand how your disability could be an advantage, how you could do the job, or if they feel unprepared to support you.

Our recommendation

If the employer has an equity program or commitment to hiring for diversity, we recommend disclosing at this time.

If you choose to disclose at this point, also emphasize the skills, abilities, and, if appropriate, the advantages that your disability will bring to the role.

Advantages

By this point, the employer has already shown interest in you as a candidate.  Disclosing to the employer may help them prepare accommodations for your interview (e.g., providing questions in advance) or figure out how to support you with workplace accommodations.

This provides an opportunity for you to discuss your disability directly with the employer.

Disadvantages

If accommodations are needed, the employer may react with surprise and wonder why you had not disclosed earlier. This is not necessarily reasonable, but may occur.

Our recommendation

If you require accommodations for the interview, disclose at this time.

It is common for executive assistants or administrators to book interviews. If this happens, ask to speak directly with the hiring manager. That way, you can ensure the right message is communicated. In doing this, you will have the opportunity to control the message they receive.

Advantages

Disclosing at this time helps reduce the risk of the employer forming preconceived opinions. You’ll have the chance to reassure them and guide the conversation. 

You can answer questions and speak to key related strength(s) you’ve developed as a result of your disability.

Disadvantages

The employer won’t have time to prepare questions, especially about accommodations or aspects of the job they might think are more challenging for you due to your disability.

Whether reasonable or not, the employer may react negatively to the new information.

Our recommendation

If your disability is not visible but you will need accommodations, or you believe it strengthens your qualifications, consider disclosing now and highlight your abilities.

Only disclose at this time if you are confident you can keep the employer focused on your abilities.

Advantages

If your disability won’t adversely affect your ability to do the job, the employer cannot retract the offer.

Disadvantages

The employer may wonder why you had not disclosed this earlier.

Our recommendation

In this situation, if your disability is not visible, you may not need to disclose it.

If you choose not to disclose at this time, learn about your work environment and/or day-to-day tasks, and be proactive about setting up strategies to help you succeed.

Additional details can be found in Disability Alliance’s Disclosure Guide (PDF) or in the Students’ Guide to Disclosure (PDF) from Carleton University.

Accommodations

An accommodation refers to equipment, practices, or policies that enable an employee with a disability to succeed in the workplace.

Examples of accommodation include:

  • Additional equipment or modifications to existing equipment, such as modified keyboards
  • Flexible hours of work or a modified work schedule
  • Additional training
  • Modified work environment, such as lower lighting or quiet areas
  • Customized work duties

Not sure if you require an accommodation or what that may look like? Explore the A to Z of Disabilities and Accommodation database for accommodation ideas and further resources. You can filter your searches by disability, limitation, work-related function, topic, or accommodation.

Additional resources

Talk with a Career Educator

You don’t need to navigate this journey alone. We’re here to help you identify and leverage your strengths, overcome obstacles, and ultimately connect with workplaces that celebrate you for who you are.

Whether you’re seeking accommodations, exploring disclosure, or simply figuring out your next steps, every decision you make is a meaningful part of shaping a career that reflects both your professional goals and lived experience. 

The UBC Career Centre offers a range of events, workshops, programs, and one-on-one appointments that can help you explore possibilities and take your next step.