To disclose or not to disclose ­– that’s the question most students with disabilities ask themselves when they begin their job search.

2008 Paralympic hopeful Jason Dunkerley is no exception. He admits to having wrestled with the issue himself, after completing his degree in international development at the University of Guelph in Ontario. He knew potential employers would eventually find out that he was blind, but he was afraid of how they would react.

"You’d like to think that you can be upfront about your disability but it’s not always easy to do," says Dunkerley.

In fact, people with disabilities have no legal obligation to advise potential employers. But some career advisers think it’s a good idea anyway.

Barry Wheeler, an advisor for students with disabilities at the University of Guelph, is one. He knows that it’s not easy because there are fears of rejection or discrimination. But he suggests that when students mention their disabilities, they reassure employers that the job will be done. "Say, ‘I’m looking forward to meeting you. Although I have a disability, it never prevents me from working to the best of my ability,’" Wheeler recommends.

Disclosure is especially important if accommodations are needed, adds Larry McCloskey, director of the Paul Menton Centre for students with disabilities at Carleton University in Ottawa. "The sooner your needs are disclosed, the quicker an employer can meet them," says McCloskey.

Making accommodations for employees with disabilities is a legal obligation for Canadian employers, under the Canadian Human Rights and Employment Equity acts. The duty to make accommodations applies unless the employers can prove that it would cause them an 'undue hardship' in court.

"It’s the law for companies to cater to the needs of people with disabilities," says Donna Herrington, the founder of the Herrington Group in St Catharines, ON. Her consulting firm works with employers to help make sure their job environments are more accessible. Herrington has noticed that some companies still aren’t keen on hiring people with disabilities.

"A misconception that many employers have about hiring people with disabilities is that they’ll have to spend a lot of money in order to make the workplace a lot more accessible. But in reality, it usually costs about $500 or less," Herrington says.

Dunkerley, for his part, requires a program called JAWS, which reads aloud items off the computer screen, as well as a Braille keyboard, all of which can come to around $1,500 in total. But he says discussing his particular accommodation needs wasn’t a problem when he interviewed earlier this year for the job he currently holds, as All Abilities Welcome program coordinator at the Active Living Alliance Centre in Ottawa.

"I knew that it wouldn’t be an issue to ask for accommodations here," Dunkerley says. "They’re really supportive. I even brought in my own JAWS program from home. It wasn’t compatible with the system but they’re updating their Windows software so it can work."

That’s good news for Herrington, who wishes there were more employers like Jason’s. "People with disabilities are one of the greatest untapped resources for employers," says Herrington. "They have the least absenteeism and are proven to be more loyal at work and that may be because they want to be seen as equals to their able-bodied co-workers."

It’s also important to remember that disclosing your disability isn’t always necessary. "If the disability, mental or physical, is not going to affect you or how you do your job, then you might not even have to disclose at all," says Wheeler.

But if you must disclose and you do, the way your potential employer reacts can be a good indication of whether you really want to work for them. "If an employer isn’t supportive, it’s ok because you have to ask yourself if you really want to work for someone who’s not welcoming," says Dunkerley.

Photo: George Doyle/Thinkstock