Career support for disabled students

There is no legal requirement to disclose information regarding your disability to an employer before or during the recruitment process.  However, you should not be disadvantaged due to disability and therefore we would encourage you to consider whether disclosure would enable you to perform on a level playing field with a non-disabled applicant.

You can decide the best time to disclose. This could be prior to or during the application stage, when invited to interview or assessment centre, when you offered a role or when you begin a job.

The benefit of disclosure is being able to ask for adjustments or accommodations to empower you to perform to the best of your ability.

For more information on the law around disclosure, visit disabilityrightsuk.org

A benefit of disclosing your disability to an employer is that you can ask for adjustments (also referred to as an accommodation). An adjustment is alteration to recruitment process or to the workplace that is put in place to prevent your disability placing you at a disadvantage compared to a candidate without a disability.

Many employers explicitly invite applicants to share requests for adjustments when they apply for a job, but this is not always the case. Therefore, it is your responsibility to ask for an adjustment and explain what you require. It is also important to be aware that in most cases you don’t need to provide specific information on your condition during the recruitment stage in order to request an adjustment.

Examples of adjustments during the recruitment phase could be:

• interview questions in advance
• a pre-interview visit to alleviate anxiety
• extra time to complete psychometric tests
• accessing assistive technology
• provision of a reader or interpreter during an interview

Examples of adjustments once you are in work could include:

• flexibility with working hours
• modifying equipment
• providing extra time for processing tasks
• providing a reader or interpreter

These are just a few examples, and the adjustments you need will be individual to you. Some of them could be like the adjustments you have at university to support your studies, and others may differ depending on your circumstances and the job. You should consider adjustments that enable you to perform at the same level as someone without a disability during the recruitment stage or when in work.

Most adjustments bear little or no cost for employers, while others may require more substantial costs, such as modifying equipment. You can apply for funding towards these costs via Access to Work, a government programme which can help pay for support you need for your disability or health condition in work, e.g. money towards travel costs or the use of an interpreter.

More resources

• MyStudentsPlusClub have lots of guidance on how to ask for adjustments on their website.
• We also partner with Employ-Ability who can provide you with free advice on disclosure, your rights and can even advocate on your behalf with an employer.

Most graduate employers want to hire the best talent, value a diverse workforce, and encourage applications from candidates based on their strengths. We recommend you try to find employers who are proactive and welcoming to applicants with a disability and those who foster a supportive working environment.

Tips for finding inclusive employers:

• Research firms that champion equality and provide a proactive position on recruitment of a diverse workforce.
• View the equality and diversity statement on the company website.
• Search for profiles of disabled employees or blogs on their website/social media indicating how they support employees and applicants.
• Check to see if the organisation encourage disclosure during the application stage – is this information easy to find on their website or application form? Is there a contact email or phone number to ask for guidance?
• If you have a contact at the organisation, ask them for their opinion on whether the employer is inclusive and supportive.
• Has the employer signed up to the Disability Confident scheme? The scheme includes UK employers who have agreed to the Disability Confident Commitment including inclusive and accessible recruitment.

Our disability partner Employ-Ability work with inclusive employers, running insight days, workshops, first year programmes, internships, graduate programmes and scholarships. These organisations include Google, Amazon, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Bird & Bird, FCA and more.