BACKGROUND: Invisible disabilities refer to a range of mental and physical disabilities that, like visible impairments, vary in their origins, degree of severity and in whether they are episodic or permanent. Much of the mainstream literature on employment and disability does not consider the question of a person disclosing their hidden disability to an employer. While disclosure is the route to a workplace accommodation process and can be in the best interest of the employee with a disability, it is a highly risky decision to disclose with numerous potential disadvantages along with advantages. The resulting situation is the predicament of disclosure for employees with invisible disabilities.
OBJECTIVE: Employers can create a workplace culture that encourages disclosure by people with invisible disabilities by being clear about the competencies required for a job; giving as much information, in accessible formats, as possible in advance; and, in recruitment and selection processes, allowing opportunities for the individual to disclose.
CONCLUSION: Many workplace accommodations for people with visible or invisible disabilities are actually about managing effectively rather than making exceptions: about having clear expectations, open communications and inclusive practices.
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