IDEA Early Career Researcher Talk
Application able-ing: Disclosing disability in job applications
[00:00] Ansha
Hello everyone, and welcome to our monthly webinar series, the IDEA Early Career Researcher Talk.
I am Ansha, and I am hosting this Emerging Discussion Forum. I am a postdoctoral researcher at Queen’s University, where I focus on disability inclusive mentorship and improving work and health outcomes for persons with disabilities, including injured and sick workers with acquired disabilities.
Thank you for joining us today.
Please note that this session is being recorded, and the recording will be made available on the IDEA website.
For those who may not be familiar with IDEA, it stands for Inclusive Design for Employment Access. IDEA is a social innovation hub that focuses on creating more inclusive and accessible labour markets for persons with disabilities.
IDEA develops evidence based tools and resources through co design with partners, with the goal of improving recruitment, hiring, onboarding, retention, mentorship, and promotion practices.
Today’s session features Janice Lau, who will be speaking on disability disclosure in job applications, which she refers to as “application enabling.”
This is a very important topic, as persons with disabilities in Canada experience higher unemployment rates and are underrepresented in leadership roles.
Janice will guide us through how individuals navigate disclosure decisions and stigma within the job application process.
Janice is a research associate with IDEA’s Incubator Hub on transition to work and career development. She is also a PhD candidate in Organizational Studies at York University.
Her research applies an intersectional lens to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, and she has also worked extensively with mental health advocacy organizations.
Before we begin, a quick housekeeping note. After the presentation, we will move into a Q and A session. Please submit your questions using the Q and A function.
Janice, thank you for joining us today. The floor is yours.
[04:30] Janice
Thank you, Ansha. Hi everyone, I am very excited to be here.
Thank you to IDEA for the invitation and to Ansha for organizing this session.
Today I will be presenting on our project titled Application Enabling. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Dan Samosh, who is a key collaborator on this work.
To begin, IDEA works to increase organizational capacity to include persons with disabilities, ensuring they can recruit, retain, and promote talent effectively.
This is especially important given that persons with disabilities face significantly higher unemployment rates.
In 2024, 53.6 percent of persons with disabilities aged 15 and older were unemployed, compared to 33.8 percent of those without disabilities.
This gap increases as roles become more senior. Only 0.8 percent of leaders in Canada identified as persons with disabilities in 2019.
Much research has focused on how employers respond to persons with disabilities. However, less research has focused on how individuals themselves navigate bias during the job search process.
People with disabilities are aware that bias exists and may make strategic decisions to avoid or mitigate it.
One key strategy is disclosure, meaning whether and how someone reveals their disability.
Most research focuses on whether individuals disclose, and increasingly on how they disclose. Less attention has been given to whether individuals disclose disability related achievements.
This includes experiences such as working in disability related organizations, receiving awards, or engaging in advocacy.
We were interested in whether individuals disclose or conceal these achievements, and when.
This study is a pilot study, meaning it is an initial exploration intended to build understanding and guide future research.
[08:30] Janice
We surveyed 224 participants with disabilities from 11 countries, including Canada, the United States, and India. Participants were prospective, current, or recently graduated MBA students.
We asked how they present themselves in job applications, whether they disclose or conceal disability related information, and what factors influence those decisions.
Nearly half of participants reported that they actively considered whether to disclose their disability in applications.
Some chose to disclose when they believed it would help their chances, while others avoided disclosure due to concerns about bias.
Many participants described actively concealing their disabilities. This included minimizing visible indicators or avoiding mention of disability altogether.
This reflects concern about being perceived as less competent.
At the same time, some participants disclosed in order to access accommodations or be transparent about their needs.
These decisions were strongly tied to how individuals believed employers would perceive their competence.
[15:00] Janice
Interestingly, most participants did not conceal disability related achievements.
Many included them because they were central to their experience or demonstrated competence.
For example, some participants who were Paralympic athletes highlighted their achievements, which required disclosure of disability.
Others included disability related work or volunteer experience as a way to demonstrate skills or open conversations.
However, some participants chose to remove disability related experience, awards, or advocacy work due to fear of stigma.
This sometimes meant removing valuable experience from their resumes.
This highlights a tension between authenticity and strategic self presentation.
[20:30] Janice
Disclosure decisions were also influenced by job characteristics.
Participants were more likely to disclose when applying to organizations perceived as inclusive, such as those in the public sector or those that openly support disability inclusion.
They were less likely to disclose in industries perceived as biased.
Job demands also played a role. Participants considered whether their disability might affect job requirements such as physical tasks, long working hours, or stress levels.
Leadership roles were especially important.
Many participants were less likely to disclose when applying for senior or management roles due to concerns about bias and assumptions about leadership capability.
[29:30] Janice
Overall, disclosure is a strategic decision used to navigate bias, access accommodations, and manage perceptions of competence.
A key insight from this research is that disability related achievements can be used to demonstrate competence and counter stereotypes.
We refer to this as application enabling.
However, these strategies can also limit career advancement when individuals remove important achievements to avoid stigma.
[33:30] Janice
In terms of practical implications, organizations should clearly communicate their commitment to inclusion.
This increases the likelihood that applicants will feel safe to disclose and request accommodations.
Employers should also review job postings and avoid ableist language.
Small changes in wording can significantly increase applications from both persons with and without disabilities.
For job applicants, early findings suggest that including disability related achievements may help counter negative assumptions about competence.
[38:00] Janice
Thank you for listening. I look forward to your questions.
[39:00] Ansha
Thank you, Janice. That was an excellent and insightful presentation.
We will now move into the Q and A session. Please continue to submit your questions using the Q and A function.