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Three quarters of students and graduates reluctant to reveal disabilities

March 19, 2015  /   No Comments

Nick Elvin

New research has revealed a reluctance among students and graduates to reveal their disabilities or health conditions to potential employers.

The survey of more than 1,000 disabled students and graduates, conducted by GreatWithDisability.com, found that 76% are concerned about being open about their disability or condition to employers, while 77% fear being discriminated against, and 72% are worried about making a nuisance of themselves.

Respondents included graduates and students with a wide range of disabilities such as dyslexia, autism, mobility impairment and speech disorders. Those with mental health issues were found to be the most reluctant to be open about their condition (78%), while those in a wheelchair showed the least concern (39%).

Helen Cooke, founder of Greatwithdisability.com, said: “This issue is of great importance to graduates and employers as well as the UK workforce. An employer is unable to make the adjustments or provide the support an individual may need to navigate the recruitment process if they are unaware of their disability or health condition. As a result, organisations often miss out on top talent, and individuals miss out on the opportunity to display their skills and achieve their potential.”

The research also looked into the best ways to encourage openness from disabled students and graduates. 71% would be encouraged by seeing examples of current disabled employees at the organisation who had benefitted from being open about their condition, while 70% said they would be more likely to be open if there was a dedicated member of staff to whom they could talk during the recruitment process.

The survey also found that students and graduates needed to receive the right encouragement and advice from university disability and careers services. Four out of five respondents said they were more likely to be open about their disability in an application if their careers or disability adviser had recommended the company as ‘disability confident’.

In addition, almost half the respondents had sought out advice on whether or not to be open with their disability during recruitment. Guidance was most frequently sought from career advisors and parents, followed by university disability advisors. Of those who requested advice, 65% were discouraged from being open about their disability. Friends and family were most likely to counsel against being open with information. Those with mental health issues were most likely to be encouraged not to tell employers, with 37% of people with mental health issues having been told not to inform about their disability.

Cooke added: “The results clearly show that employers need to communicate their ability to support those with disabilities and health conditions through the recruitment process and in the workplace. Websites are a key marketing tool for promoting ‘disability confidence’, and for showcasing examples of successful employees, including those who have a disability.”

 
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