Facilitating disability disclosure in the workplace

Provide all employees with disability awareness training. This is the first step to building a disability positive culture within your business. Although courses will vary in content you should expect learning outcomes to include:
 

• definitions and classifications of disability
• understanding types of disability
• strategies to minimise the impact of a disability
• identifying barriers to disability both environmentally and attitudinal
• reflection on perceptions of disability
• language around disability 

More than half of participants in a US study of employees with disabilities said an open and supportive relationship with their employer was a very important factor in their decision to disclose..Encourage supportive relationships between management and employees through leadership training, engaging often in different forums and encouraging managers to ask for suggestions.  

Do as much as possible to go beyond complying with equality legislation to actively engage with people with disabilities when it comes to recruitment. This may involve building relationships with recruitment agencies that share your inclusive vision and highlighting accommodating recruitment practices where you advertise specific roles.