You do not have any legal obligation to tell a potential employer if you have a disability unless you want to. It is your personal choice as detailed in the Equality Act 2010.

When making this decision you should consider whether your disability potentially raises a health and safety issue. An example of this is if you have epilepsy and may experience a seizure at work. Another factor in this decision is whether or not you require any adjustments to enable you to undertake your day-to-day work or even to attend the interview.

Top tips

Always present your disability in a way that will show you in a positive light.
Emphasise how your disability may have enhanced your skills and abilities in some areas.
Employers want enthusiastic and positive employees, so concentrate on achievement and skill.
Look for disability-positive employers, but consider all opportunities on their merits.
Market yourself positively by familiarising yourself with the job description and person specification.
Only discuss your disability in terms of its relevance to your performance in the job.
Don't assume the employer will have a negative attitude - your experiences and skills may give you the edge over other candidates.
Does the employer offer any ‘positive action’ initiatives aimed at students with disabilities?
Work shadowing can be a useful way to research the work environment.

Researching disability-friendly employers

Many employers are employing applicants with disabilities and health conditions, and striving for greater diversity in the workplace. Good employers recognise that there are advantages to recruiting a diverse workforce.

Some employers offer schemes specifically aimed at students and graduates with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Others offer opportunities for all, but as well as mainstream recruitment sites, they also advertise through specialist sites such as EmployAbility (see link below).

Take a look at the employer's diversity policy on their website. Check to see if they are a member of the Business Disability Forum. Look for the 'two ticks', Mindful Employer and Business Disability Forum icons on an employer's website.

The 'two ticks' symbol is the most commonly used on job adverts and application forms to show disabled applicants are welcome. The logo demonstrates an employer is particularly positive about employing and retaining disabled people.

The Mindful Employer charter demonstrates an employer's commitment to being positive about mental health. The logo "shows an employer is supportive of conditions such as anxiety and depression".

Example wording for a cover letter

Examples of disability-friendly employment schemes

For those studying computer science, computer engineering, informatics, or a closely related technical ﬁeld: Google Europe scholarship for students with disabilities.

Engineering / science: Shell Graduate Programme (Engineering/Science) in Partnership with EmployAbility.

Change 100: Internship programme which brings together the UK’s top employers and talented disabled students.

Useful links

Target Jobs – Within their careers advice section, they have information related to equality and diversity.

Prospects – Provide careers advice and job and course opportunities to students and graduates. This includes an example of a cover letter disclosing a disability.

Business Disability Forum - A not-for-profit member organisation that makes it easier and more rewarding to do business with and employ disabled people.

Vercida.com – This site only displays jobs from employers who understand the value of building a diverse workforce.

EmployAbility - Not-for-profit organisation dedicated to assisting students and graduates with all disabilities, including dyslexia or long-term health conditions, into employment.

MyPLUS Students' Club – Provides a wealth of information, advice and case studies as well as job adverts from a range of major organisations.