NON-VISIBLE DISABILITY DISCLOSURE IN THE WORKPLACE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISCLOSURE OF NON-VISIBLE DISABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE WHEN REQUESTING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADA

This qualitative study investigated messages that employees would construct when disclosing non-visible disabilities in the workplace in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, respondents were asked what factors they felt a supervisor would consider in making the decision to grant an accommodation. Open-ended survey questions provided a prompt for respondents to construct an original message. The data revealed that the factors identified were consistent with extant literature. Respondents also indicated the factors they felt a supervisor would consider in making the decision to grant an accommodation.The factors from the two points of view provide members of the disabled community, counselors, and supervisors guidelines in creating an environment conducive to disability disclosure. This study responds to the call from Asch (1984) to identify strategies that individuals with disabilities use in interactions, and Jablin?s (1979) assertion that superior/subordinate interactions need to be studied in context.

Dr. Ellsworth earned her Ph.D. and Masters in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. Her areas of study include health communication and organizational communication. Her research regarding disclosure of non-visible disabilities in the workplace is a combination of health and organizational communication.