Persons with disabilities
- Amanda Vos
- Matthew King
- Katie Rieger
Overview
Do you have a disability? Are you trying to figure out how to balance your accessibility needs while working, searching for work or planning your career?
We understand that different barriers can impact your experience. Different types of disabilities can pose different barriers during your work search, on the job and if you want to study further. On this page, we have some tips, resources and things to remember about searching for work and working with a disability.
Finding the right opportunity that aligns with your core values and accessibility requirements may need additional time and planning. Remember, you’re not alone in this process. The resources and suggestions in this section can support you in this journey and ensure you feel informed, prepared and confident about navigating the workforce with your disability.
Self-reflect and network
Perhaps you have multiple factors to keep in mind when job searching.
Does this sound like you?
I can’t think of where I’d like to work and the type of work I want to do;
I need an income stream now to support myself and or my family, friends and community.
We’d like to affirm this! Sometimes, we have the space, time and privilege to think through where we’d like to work and other times we don’t. If you’d like to chat more, if you’d like support finding accessible work, if you’d like support preparing your application materials or if you’d like support preparing for an interview, connect with a career advisor.
Understanding your disability
Remember, you are the expert of your own lived experience! You understand better than anyone what your disability means for you and what you bring to any employment opportunity. Take some time to reflect on what this means for you and if/how a disability has shaped your skillset or value assessment of yourself. Think about what you need to feel your best self at work. For example:
What options exist to support employees with disabilities?
How are employee well-being and retention supported? What support does the employer offer to employees who need to take a leave of absence? Is the process accessible/manageable for you?
What is the employee extended health and wellness benefits package?
Understanding your accommodation needs
It can help to consider what the employer may not be aware of regarding disabilities. This is often where you will need to focus when requesting adjustments or accommodations.
Typically, there are supportive spaces within organizations to help you thrive in your work. First, what is your situation?
Maybe you suspect that you may have a disability, or you are not formally diagnosed. Do you experience any functional limitations when working? But you don’t have an accommodation plan? Consider visiting AccessAbility Services to chat about what support options are available and would be a good fit for you. As well, you might find helpful resources on the Student Support Services page.
Maybe you have a non-apparent disability. Many employers are unaware that many disabilities are non-apparent or episodic and only sometimes apparent. Outsiders may struggle to understand all the barriers that folks with non-apparent disabilities will navigate. Try looking through the supports listed on this page to find what might work best for you.
It is a challenge to know if you need accommodations. You might be asking yourself, how do I know what I need? Perhaps you have recently acquired a disability, or you are unaware of how your disability will impact your ability to do a job. You are the expert of your experience, so let that guide you in asking for what you may need. Here are some factors and associated questions you may wish to consider:
Values and characteristics of the organization/company
Do my goals and interests match the employer's?
Should I choose to share, how can I tell if the employer will be accepting of my full self?
What mentorship opportunities are available to me? What professional development or career planning support does the employer offer?
Employer location
Are you within proximity to your support system(s)? If not, are there options to manage that?
How affordable is housing?
How easily can you get to and from work? How accessible is the commute?
Connecting with others
Engaging with others can also help you gain a more transparent perspective of a potential employer.
You might connect with people you trust
You might join an already existing network for folks with disabilities, such as:
Discover Ability Network, is a job-matching platform where students can register, self-identify as having a disability and access job postings from inclusive employers.
Lime Connect, is a resource that connects students with disabilities to a network of professionals, job opportunities, recruitment events, internships and networking opportunities.
You might target job opportunities built specifically for people with disabilities like Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities or Specialisterne, a site specifically for students on the autism spectrum that connects them to meaningful job opportunities.
You might check out structured opportunities to connect on campus like Employer Information Sessions, Ten Thousand Coffees UWaterloo and off campus like Pride at Work Rendez Vous or Matrices, MentorAbility.
Applying for jobs
Thinking about whether you want to disclose information about your disability or disabilities at the application or interview stage can be complex. Always remember that you have a choice.
Talking with someone can help you decide what information you need or want to disclose and what you can keep private. The Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) outlines the rights of every person within Ontario. As a person with a disability, your rights are protected under the OHRC. This means you should not experience discrimination based on your disability when applying for a job or during the interview process.
Under the OHRC, employers are legally required to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities if there is no undue hardship on the employer. “Undue hardship” refers to the considerations of cost, health and safety for the employer since every role has different requirements.
These resources may be useful as you go through the application and interview stage:
A career advisor can support you by chatting about how you may want to talk about your employment accommodations.
Co-op accessibility works with students within co-op and EDGE to explore potential student employment accommodations. Possible employment accommodations would be achieved based on student accessibility needs and employer input. Students in co-op and EDGE may also consider reaching out to the co-op student experience manager (accessibility) at co-op.accessibility@uwaterloo.ca for support with engaging in the employment accommodation process.
If you are a current student looking for support and you have a disability, you can register with AccessAbility Services (AAS), which will connect you with an accommodation consultant. Once you are registered, the accommodation consultant can assist with requesting academic accommodations and possibly employment accommodations.
If you are an employee at the university (working with the university), then you could chat with Occupational Health about different ways to talk about your disability.
If you’ve received academic accommodations before, you might reflect on what was helpful and whether it can transfer to a workplace setting. The following are resources that can help if you’re in this situation:
Academic Accommodations Translated into Employment Settings – University of Guelph Resource
Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – A to Z of Disabilities and Accommodations
Job Seekers Guide For Students and Graduates with Disabilities – Understanding your Accommodation Needs – Carleton University Resource
Preparing your application
When applying to jobs, share your strengths, achievements and relevant experience in your résumé and cover letter.
For some people, you may want to disclose your accommodation needs early because it has an impact on the way you work. If that’s the case, you can also share how you navigate barriers to provide good work outcomes. Offering examples to show the employer how you developed skills to manage and overcome barriers is a great way to share your disability story.
If you choose not to disclose your disability or disabilities, that’s also completely fine. You will still want to tailor your résumé and cover letter to show all your relevant experiences, skills and strengths. For help with deciding when and how to disclose, consider the information in the chart below. If this feels like a lot of information to go through, consider booking an appointment with a career advisor to go through it together.
Job search stage | In your job application (résumé or cover letter) |
|---|---|
Potential advantages | Sharing your disability story early on in your job application can feel empowering and relieve stress. Your lived experience with a disability may be relevant to the job, so sharing this early could be an advantage! It offers clarity for the hiring manager ahead of time to consider how to best accommodate your disability. |
Potential disadvantages | Some hiring managers, interviewers, organizations and companies are not familiar with talking about disabilities. They may misunderstand what you communicate about your disability in a job application. |
Key considerations | Look at the job posting closely to see if the organization or company openly shares a commitment to inclusive hiring. If they are committed to hiring diverse people and share that they will accommodate people with disabilities, this may demonstrate that you can safely share your accommodation needs. At the same time, you cannot be sure of the intentions of individual hiring managers, so keep that in mind. |
For an additional perspective, check out the Job Seekers Guide for Students and Graduates with Disabilities. On pages 7-8, there is a comprehensive chart that offers information to consider when deciding whether to disclose your disability.
Following an invitation to interview, you may wish to do some preparation. You may want to book an interview appointment with a career advisor or practice by writing examples of your skills with a friend. The interview allows you to share your story and connect with the hiring manager to see if this job would be a good fit for you! Some employers now openly communicate that they provide accommodations.
If you’d like to chat about possible workplace accommodations while in your co-op work term, you can send an email to co-op.accessibility@uwaterloo.ca to chat with the co-op student experience manager, accessibility. This resource is available to all work-integrated learnings students, including those in co-op and EDGE.
The process for interview accommodations will vary at each workplace. Whether the company is a small business or a larger organization – factors like this impact what the process might look like.
For support with deciding when and how to disclose your disability and/or accommodation needs, consider the following:
Job search stage | Once invited to the interview | During an interview |
|---|---|---|
Potential advantages | Requesting interview accommodations based on your disability can ensure that you will be best prepared for your interview. This can be a more manageable approach to disclosing a disability since you only focus on accommodation needs for the interview. This offers a more accessible entry point to discussing a potential need for workplace accommodations during the interview. | Sharing about your disability during an interview gives you control over how you want to tell your story. You have the chance to emphasize your skills and abilities while talking about your disability with the hiring manager. Being open with the hiring manager early on can support a good work relationship with them moving forward. Disclosing your disability story at this stage may give you a sense of relief since you will be able to be more open about your lived experience. |
Potential disadvantages | If you only need interview accommodations and not workplace accommodations, then you may need to clarify this with the employer. Some hiring managers, interviewers, organizations and companies are not familiar with talking about disabilities. They may misunderstand what you communicate about your interview accommodations. | It can be challenging to bring this up independently during an interview. Consider how you would feel most comfortable mentioning your disability as part of your story. Once you disclose your disability, there’s a chance that the hiring manager may think more about your disability than other parts of your story. Some hiring managers and interviewers are not familiar with talking about disabilities. They may misunderstand what you communicate about your disability or accommodations. This may mean that you will need to lead the conversation or clear up misunderstandings. |
Key considerations | Many organizations or companies are open to providing interview accommodations now, but each employer will have a different process. Reach out to the Human Resources (HR) department or hiring manager to ensure the interview is accessible for you. If you have a physical disability, ask about options for an accessible interview space in person or a remote interview online. | Talking about your disability during an interview allows you to show what a great candidate you are for the job and address any questions about your disability. The OHRC states that employers are required to provide workplace accommodations up to the point of undue hardship, but it’s still up to you to decide whether and when you’re comfortable disclosing. Practice how you will share your disability story ahead of time so that you can be prepared in the moment. |
Starting a new job is always an adjustment and learning period. Reflecting on your needs can be helpful, and these can maybe change over time. If you chose not to disclose your disability during the job application and interview process but are finding you may need accommodations to do your work, you may choose to make this request once starting the job. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
Often, workplaces are open to a collaborative process for determining accommodations to help you succeed in your role. However, some employers might be unfamiliar with some disabilities or how to support accommodations and will need to work with you on the accommodation plan.
It can take time to sort out what accommodations work best. Usually, there is a period during which you can reassess your needs and adjust your accommodations.
Having support can be helpful. Find a friend or mentor you can talk to, to learn about the workplace culture and expectations. Keep clear communication with your supervisor to know what is needed from you in your role.
Finding a balance between your work life and home life can be challenging—it can help to spend time figuring out what you need to stay well. If you experience harassment due to your disability you can file a claim with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
You might choose to disclose your disability/disabilities to your colleagues or supervisor. If you’re unsure whether to disclose, consider the following:
On the job | After starting the job |
|---|---|
Potential advantages | Sharing your disability after you’ve already started working means you have had the chance to demonstrate your abilities to the employer and colleagues. Perhaps you’ve also built trust and rapport with some colleagues and supervisor(s) and had a chance to assess the workplace to see if it feels safe to disclose. Being open about your disability and your needs can help dispel myths or common misconceptions. It can help you ask for what you need and get accommodations in place, if you are finding the need for them. An employer cannot terminate your job due to your disability. If you are already addressing any functional limitations on the job and performing well, then you are carrying out your work responsibilities as you should. |
Potential disadvantages | Not everyone may react positively to the disclosure. The employer may feel you should have disclosed at an earlier stage during the hiring process. They may or may not want to discuss this with you. Even if reactions are not positive, you need to choose what feels right for you to do. This might also indicate what level of stigma against disability is present in that workplace. Disclosing potentially may change workplace dynamics and relationships. This might show whether the workplace values align with your own. If you face any negative or discriminatory treatment, investigate your workplace support. This could be an EDI Office, HR, Occupational Health, Conflict Management or in smaller offices a manager or supervisor. |
Key considerations | Consider who you feel comfortable disclosing to. Are there certain colleagues it would be helpful to share with? You might consider disclosing to some, but not all. Or disclose this to your manager and not your colleagues etc. Sometimes employees decide not to disclose. This might be because they don’t need accommodations; they don’t feel it is right for them; the process is systemically harmful; they can blend into the work culture without disclosing. Other times, employees may disclose to certain people when in need of specific accommodation (flexible scheduling, time-off, etc.) |
On campus:
- Counselling Services - This resource is a great option for UW students if you are looking for support to manage stress or mental health concerns.
- Health Services - You might want to access this option if you need health related support for your disability.
Off campus:
- Career Edge - A resource that offers job seekers a pathway to paid internship opportunities. This space is intentional about including people with disabilities and other marginalized identities.
CCD would like to thank the following stakeholders for sharing their expertise and lived experience during the content development phase: Mitch Bewick, Phoenix Rogoz.