Disability Disclosure in Employment Series

Learn about workshops CAP offers on disclosure in various employment situations

As a part of the ADA Title I duties under our grant, the CAP team has developed an interactive Disclosure in Employment Series, which consists of three separate workshops over Zoom. The series is aimed at employees and jobseekers with disabilities and their advocates. There is no cost to attendees.

The first workshop, The Decision to Disclose, focuses on how a person with a disability decides whether or not they should disclose their disability at different stages of the employment process.

The second workshop, Reasonable Accommodations in Employment, focuses on the best practices for requesting a reasonable accommodation.

The third workshop, Disability Discrimination in Employment, focuses on recognizing workplace interactions that could be disability discrimination and discussing steps people can take to deter or address disability discrimination in the workplace.

The technical guidance in these workshops is not legal advice and should not be considered legal advocacy. 

Table of Contents

The Decision to Disclose

The Decision to Disclose workshop focuses on how a person with a disability decides whether or not they should disclose their disability at different stages of the employment process. Attendees will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of disclosure. If a person decides to disclose, what should they reasonably be expected to share? During this one hour workshop, attendees will participate in guided exercises where they practice:

  1. weighing the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing,
  2. describing their limitations and not their disability, and
  3. responding to  specific situations in employment where they may need to decide whether to disclose their disability.

Attendees will have the space to ask questions, complete the exercises, and receive feedback. 

Reasonable Accommodations in Employment

The Reasonable Accommodations in Employment workshop focuses on the steps a person with a disability would take to request a reasonable accommodation. Attendees will discuss how to talk about the supports needed to perform their essential job functions instead of focusing on their disability. During this one-and-a-half hour workshop, attendees will participate in guided exercises where they:

  1. describe their functional limitations and not their disability,
  2. use a job description to practice identifying the essential functions of a job, and
  3. draft an outline of an accommodation request based on best practice.

Attendees will have the space to ask questions, complete the exercises, and receive feedback. There will be a short break halfway through the session. 

Disability Discrimination in Employment

The Disability Discrimination in Employment workshop focuses on recognizing workplace interactions that could be disability discrimination and discussing steps people can take to deter or address disability discrimination in the workplace. 

This one-and-a-half hour hour workshop will provide information and encourage participant discussion of hypothetical and real cases. Attendees will:

  • learn how disability discrimination is defined in the employment context,
  • practice distinguishing what types of workplace interactions may be discriminatory, using hypothetical and real examples,
  • learn measures that may help prevent disability discrimination in the workplace, and
  • learn ways to document work situations that may be discriminatory.

The technical guidance in this workshop is not legal advice and should not be considered legal advocacy. 

Attendees will have the space to ask questions, complete the exercises, and receive feedback. There will be a short break halfway through the session.

Workshop schedule, registration and inquiries

Current schedule

Decision to Disclose workshop

Date Time
February 22, 2023     9:30am - 10:30am
May 24, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am
August 23, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am
November 15, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am

Reasonable Accommodations in Employment workshop

Date Time
February 22, 2023     11:00am - 12:30pm
May 24, 2023 11:00am - 12:30pm
August 23, 2023 11:00am - 12:30pm
November 15, 2023 11:00am - 12:30pm

Disability Discrimination in Employment workshop

Date Time
February 22, 2023     2:00pm - 3:00pm
May 24, 2023 2:00pm - 3:00pm
August 23, 2023 2:00pm - 3:00pm
November 15, 2023 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Register for a workshop

Please visit our Events page to see which events are open to registration. Click on the event for instructions on how to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Special workshop sessions for your group

If you think one of these workshops could be a helpful resource for your group, we can schedule special sessions for small groups. If you would like to learn more about sessions for your group, send an email contactCAPMA@mass.gov with the best number at which to reach you.

Other sources of information and support

If you need information about disability disclosure or reasonable accommodations in employment, but are unable to attend any of the workshops, you can still get your questions answered by contacting the Massachusetts Office on Disability directly using our contact form or calling our main number (617) 727 7440. MOD also provides guidance online about disability rights in employment, including tips about how to navigate the reasonable accommodation process.

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