What would be good to include in a disability disclosure letter?

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It depends on the situation. Is this for accommodations on the job? A college application? Something else?

Assuming this is in a job situation, you will want to establish that you are an employee with a disability, explain the specifics of how it might affect you at work, and propose some reasonable accommodations that will help you work more effectively.

Always be cautious to maintain an appropriate balance between providing necessary and helpful information about your disabilities, on the one hand, and not making people think you can't do the job or giving them reason to doubt you, on the other.

Keep in mind that you are not obligated to disclose a disability to an employer. Even if you require accommodations, some people recommend not disclosing until after you are hired. However, since you have multiple disabilities that may become evident to an potential employer, it might be in your interest to head off speculation and pre-empt some of the prejudices and uncomfortable questions.

First you should state explicitly that you are an employee with a disability who is seeking reasonable accommodations.

Then you can discuss some or all of your diagnoses, giving a *brief* description of relevant effects on you. Since you have several diagnoses, it might be best to pick 1-3 of the most impairing to focus on, but that's up to you, depending on the severity of each issue and how it will affect you on the job. You could simply say that you have learning disabilities or a neurological condition and leave it at that.

For example, you might say something like, "I have a neurologically-based disability that affects the way I process information and the way I interact with people."

Lay out how it might affect you on the job, and propose accommodations that will make it possible for you to function effectively. You can use your past experience as a guide.
For example: "I work best when there are fewer distractions around me, so if possible, I would like to be assigned to a cubicle away from the door and the copy machine." Or "My auditory processing deficit means I sometimes misunderstand spoken instructions, so it would be helpful if you could e-mail me about important tasks or put things in writing."

If you might need time off for therapy/medical appointments, mention the frequency of appointments (once a week? month?) and request a flexible schedule on those days (working late, for example, to make up for the time you spent in the appointment).

Consider all aspects of the job: schedule, physical environment, communication with your boss and coworkers and clients, organizational demands, method of monitoring your performance, reading, writing, or arithmetic requirements, and so on.

It's probably not necessary to include a doctor's note or other documentation at this point; let your employer ask for that if necessary. However, if you already have a doctor's note that's appropriate for the situation (giving only basic details and confirmed that you do, in fact, have a disability), you could throw it in, too.

Overall, you want to keep the note matter-of-fact and upbeat: Yes, you have disabilities, but they are things that can be managed in the workplace. And you've already done the hard work of thinking about how to manage them. Keep the letter brief and informative, and focus on the solutions rather than the problems.

Good luck!...Show more