Talking About Disability

Some people with disabilities are very comfortable talking about disability, and others are not. Even the language varies: are you "telling" people about disability, "disclosing" a disability, or "coming out" about your disability? Some people don't even like the word "disability" and Deaf people consider themselves part of a culture first. For those of you who are considering how you feel about it, here are a few resources.

Video from the Web version of this publication:

Disability Disclosure: https://www.youtube.com/embed/oOuczENU_dU

A video about disability disclosure in college, work and social settings, by the Career Learning Center of the Black Hillls (captioned; no audio description)

Disability & Admissions

Discussing disabilities can sometimes give students an edge in college admissions , according to this article in US News & World Report
If your disability affected your transcript or you have anything you need to explain, sometimes it's better to for you to offer an explanation to get a fair review
Universities are not allowed to discriminate against students with disabilities, but you must be a qualified applicant who meets their admissions criteria (it's ok if you can only meet the criteria with accommodations in place)
Admissions offices should never get copies of your medical documentation or special education paperwork from high school - save that for the disability services office.

Talking with Friends

There are few resources explaining how to talk about disability with your friends, but here are a few resources to share with friends once you've told them:

A few tips from Cosmo for things to never say to a disabled friend
Karin Hitselberger blogs about how being friends with disabled people doesn't make you a hero
"10 Dumb Things Hearing People Commonly Say to Deaf People" guest starring Captain Picard photos

Talking with Faculty

Tips for how to talk about your disability and accommodation letters with professors (video is captioned; no audio description)

Talking with Employers

The Job Accommodations Network has a list of resources about disclosure and discussing disability with employers - for youth and adults
The US Department of Labor has a list of situations where you may have to talk about your disability to get or keep a job

General Resources

Although using the word "disclosure" can imply disability is an inherently negative thing, the following resources may be helpful:

The 411 on Disability Disclosure is a free workbook that is designed to help youth decide when, how and where to talk about disability (including college settings)
Scott Finklestein talks about disclosure in college