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Module 2: Pathways to Careers: Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability

SECTION 1: Introduction for Training Facilitators

Overview

The ADA and Self-Advocacy for Youth — Train-the-Trainer Curriculum has been developed with a modular design. Using the train-the-trainer model, each module will include multiple components including:

  • PowerPoint slides with presentation content and talking notes.
  • Training facilitator talking points and speaker notes.
  • Videos and other multi-media content (when appropriate)
  • Activities such as role play scenarios, quizzes, and art activities.
  • Relevant resources including targeted documents, organizations, and websites.

The modules are designed to be presented in stand-alone sessions. Shorter or longer sessions may be developed based upon the students’ needs. A menu of interactive exercises will be provided for each module. One or more activities may be selected to reinforce the learning objectives based upon the needs of the facilitator and students.
Training facilitators participate in a train-the-trainer event led by the BBI/SEADA Curriculum Development Team. Training facilitators will also be provided with targeted, relevant materials about hosting an accessible training event, accessible presentation methods, effective utilization of the module materials, and strategies for customizing modules based on audience needs.

Learning Modules

  • Module 1: Pathways to Careers: An Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Roadmap
  • Module 2: Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability
  • Module 3: The ADA in the Workplace
  • Module 4: The ADA in Higher Education
  • Module 5: Advocating for My Rights Under the ADA
  • Module 6: Skills for Successful Employment
  • Module 7: The ADA and Reasonable Accommodations on the Job
  • Module 8: The ADA in the Community
  • Module 9: The ADA and Effective Communication for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
  • Module 10: The ADA and Effective Communication for Individuals who are Blind or Low Vision
  • Module 11: Interactions with Law Enforcement
  • Module 12: Parent to Partner

Module 2: Pathways to Careers: Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability

Module 2: Pathways to Careers: Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability provides a basic overview and understanding of disability and disclosure, the ADA’s rules about it, how to ask for accommodations, and strategies to use when requesting an accommodation.

Discussion questions are incorporated throughout the slide presentation. Interactive exercises are provided to reinforce the content from the slide presentation and the video.
The PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of disability and disclosure, the ADA’s rules about it, how to ask for accommodations, and some strategies to use when requesting an accommodation. Combined with the suggested advance readings that students can access, the initial exercise focused on understanding accommodations, and the post-presentation interactive exercises on self-advocacy and requesting accommodations, the overall goal of this module is to broadly introduce students to the concept of how and when to disclose a disability on the job or in college.

Learning Objectives

The student will:

  • Explore conscious and unconscious decision-making in their own life.
  • Be introduced to the idea that disclosure of disability is an important decision that should be carefully thought out.
  • Gain an understanding of disclosure and the ADA’s rules about it.
  • Learn tips for making a decision about disclosing his/her disability.
  • Students will understand how the ADA provides guidelines to assist when disclosing a disability and when asking for an accommodation.
  • Learn about strategies to use when talking about their disability to an employer.
  • Understand how the ADA works in a post-secondary school environment.
  • Learn about proper ways to use social media.

 

SECTION 2: Strategies for Customization

Adapting and Making Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The following resources provide guidance on working with students with a variety of disabilities. The resources provide information about adaptations that can be made to instructional techniques and accommodations that can be provided to increase inclusion in the classroom.

Customizing the Lesson Using Presentation Material and Interactive Exercises

There are three sets of resources provided that can be woven together to customize the learning experience, depending on your goals as a facilitator for this lesson on Disclosure, Self-Identification, and Discussing Your Disability (e.g., providing a very simple introduction versus teaching the basics as a platform for having students engage in deeper learning about complex examples). These include: (1) advance preparation material that students can review; (2) a set of PowerPoint slides that can be used in a presentation and discussion format; and (3) a set of interactive exercises to stimulate applied learning, creativity, and deeper thinking about the concepts.

Advance Preparation Material for Students

This lesson provides a very simple, high-level overview of Disclosure Decisions and Talking About Disability. The goal is to introduce students to the idea of self-advocacy and the concept of how and when to disclose a disability on the job or in college. Suggested resources for advance preparation include readings and videos about the ADA and disclosure.
As noted, these materials can be provided in advance to students, or if the class session is long enough, they may be used in class prior to presenting the PowerPoint slides and getting into a specific discussion of the ADA. Alternatively, they could be used as both advance preparation (pre-homework) and repeated in class to reinforce the learning.

PowerPoint Slides

The PowerPoint slides can be used in class to provide an overview of Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability. Combined with the interactive exercises, the presentation can be extended to cover a long class session or multiple smaller class sessions. The slides can also be presented on their own as part of a short lesson on the Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability.

Interactive Exercises

Several interactive exercises are provided to engage the students in considering specific examples that relate to the material – Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability. For example, while the presentation material explains that the ADA ensures equal access in the community, an interactive exercise leads the students to consider ways that they can successfully disclose their disability and need for accommodations on the job. Therefore, the exercise provides a concrete lesson on disclosing disability and explains how the ADA applies to employers and colleges. These exercises and examples may reflect actual student experiences. The facilitators can ask students to share these experiences to provide variations on those provided in these materials.

SECTION 3: Suggested Advance Preparation for Facilitators

Readings

Workbooks

Media

Web Course

  • Foundations of the Americans with Disabilities Act Web Course (Southeast ADA Center)
    Source: Southeast ADA Center
    Link:     bit.ly/foundations-ada-course
    The ADA Foundations (bit.ly/foundations-ada-course) is a comprehensive web course designed to increase your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The web course has been developed to help you learn about the important concepts of the ADA and to think about inclusive solutions for people with disabilities in the workplace, state and local government programs, and private businesses.
    Learning Objectives
    Upon completion of this web course, you will be able to:

    • Discuss the purpose of the ADA using a civil rights framework.
    • Identify the five titles of the ADA.
    • Provide a basic overview of each title of the ADA.
    • Define the general nondiscrimination requirements of the ADA.
    • Explain each nondiscrimination requirement using 1-2 real-life examples.
    • Identify the defenses or limitations of each nondiscrimination requirement.
    • Identify the federal agencies responsible for enforcing each title of the ADA.
    • Locate and use resources for information on the ADA.

SECTION 4: Suggested Advance Preparation for Students

The following advanced reading assignments and video excerpts can be assigned to students to prepare them for learning about Disclosure, Self-Identification, and Discussing Your Disability

Readings

Workbooks

Web Course

  • Foundations of the Americans with Disabilities Act Web Course (Southeast ADA Center)
    Source: Southeast ADA Center
    Link:     bit.ly/foundations-ada-course
    The ADA Foundations (bit.ly/foundations-ada-course) is a comprehensive web course designed to increase your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The web course has been developed to help you learn about the important concepts of the ADA and to think about inclusive solutions for people with disabilities in the workplace, state and local government programs, and private businesses.
    Learning Objectives
    Upon completion of this web course, you will be able to:

    • Discuss the purpose of the ADA using a civil rights framework.
    • Identify the five titles of the ADA.
    • Provide a basic overview of each title of the ADA.
    • Define the general nondiscrimination requirements of the ADA.
    • Explain each nondiscrimination requirement using 1-2 real-life examples.
    • Identify the defenses or limitations of each nondiscrimination requirement.
    • Identify the federal agencies responsible for enforcing each title of the ADA.
    • Locate and use resources for information on the ADA.

SECTION 5: Presentation

Pre-Module for the Training Facilitator:

Facilitator Note: Let’s think of people who have disabilities. These could be people in movies, on television, on the internet, or in social media.
Who are some of the people you can think of? (List the names on the left side of a whiteboard or flip chart.)

Now, let’s think of what types of things each person we named might have difficulty doing because of their disability. (Add this list across from each name in the middle of the whiteboard or flip chart.)
Finally, let’s think of what might help each person to do what is difficult for them to do. (Add this in a list across from each name and on the right side of the whiteboard or flip chart.)
Save this information for a post-module activity. You may want to save it on a computer or tablet to project the list after completing this module.
Today we are going to learn about self-identifying as a person with a disability and talking with others about our disability

Facilitator Note
Use the Module 2 PowerPoint slides, Pathways to Careers… Disclosure Decisions and Talking About My Disability

Listed below are some websites that may assist with identifying people with disabilities. We suggest reviewing these lists in advance to ensure that you are familiar with the information and can use it to encourage students to share.

Post Module for the Training Facilitator:

Post-Module Facilitator Note: After you have completed the PowerPoint and learning activities, summarize the session(s) with the group.
From the Pre-Module activity, put the 3-column chart back up and see what the group would like to add to the 3 lists.
What did we learn about disclosing a disability and accommodations that can help in school or at work? Can we think of more names (people with disabilities) to add to our list? Can we think of other things that might be difficult for each person on our list? Finally, can we think of other accommodations that would help each person to do what is difficult for them? Do we have any accommodation on our list that would be helpful for you? If so, how would that accommodation be useful for you?

 

SECTION 6: Learning Activities

 

For the Training Facilitator:

Facilitator Note: Learning activities have been designed to reinforce the content from the PowerPoint presentation and/or videos. A menu of activities has been provided. You may choose one or more activities based upon the time that you have to present the material and upon the needs of the students. For each interactive activity Suggested time frames are included with each activity. Please keep in mind the age of your students, their individual skill levels, and specific disabilities to allow time frames that are appropriate for your group.

Activity #1: Group Discussion

Facilitator Note: Please allow time frames for these discussions and activities that are appropriate for the size of the group and the makeup of the group. Please be flexible if the discussion or the sharing is productive, and the participants are actively engaged.

Activity 1A: “Different”

Time: 5 – 10 minutes
Facilitator Script: Can you think of a time when you felt “different”? What was happening at that time, and what do you think made you feel “different” in that situation? Let’s share about these times and why you felt like you were different in that situation.
Facilitator Note: Disclosure of a disability is a personal choice, so emphasize each response as given, but do not probe for responses that focus on disability. Instead, clarify each response in this manner: “Being the only girl on a team with mostly boys could make you feel different. Being the only Latino in a class could make you feel different…Using a wheelchair when getting on a bus could make you feel different.
If no one in your group responds with a disability-related answer, probe with a question such as, “Do you think having a disability could sometimes make you feel “different?”  It is important to accept all responses and validate the thoughts of your group.

Activity 1B: “Young People Share About Disability”
Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Facilitator Note: Use the PowerPoint entitled “Young People Share About Disability” and the Facilitator’s Notes for this discussion activity.
Facilitator Script: Today, we are going to look at some slides of young people with disabilities. Some of you may already know who some of these young people are, and you may also know about their disabilities.

Activity #2: Art Projects & Musical Expression

Art Projects

Facilitator Note: If your group is engaged by art activities, such as drawing, painting, collages, murals, etc., you might use art materials to do the following. Please keep in mind the age of your students as well as the individual skill levels and specific disabilities to allow time frames that are appropriate for your group. If members of your group have difficulty manipulating art materials, such as students who have difficulty using scissors due to limited hand dexterity, consider working in partners or small groups.
If your group is made up of students with varying levels of vision loss, consider having students with low vision work as partners or in small groups with students with total vision loss. Using materials such as magazines, advertising flyers, brochures, pamphlets, etc., have the students with low vision audio describe the pictures and words that the partners or small groups might decide to use in a collage or mural.
If your group is made up of students with total vision loss, consider using the Musical Expression activity with your group.

Activity 2A: “Bumper Stickers”

Time: 10 minutes or more
Facilitator Note (Materials): Use long strips of paper and art materials for this activity. You may also provide magazines advertising flyers, brochures, pamphlets, etc. from which to cut pictures and words, and stickers, if available.
Facilitator Script: Bumper stickers show what someone is proud of and tell something about the person who chose that bumper sticker. Today, we are going to make bumper stickers that tell about you. What would you like to put on your bumper sticker to tell others about you? Think of all the many ways that you could tell about yourself and put on your bumper sticker whatever you want the world to know.
Facilitator Note: Following the work time, state “Let’s share our bumper stickers. What does your bumper sticker tell about you?” As each person shares a bumper sticker, emphasize the different traits that are included, such as gender, race, ethnicity, disability, and so on, as well as things the person likes to do, and so on. Point out that all of the traits are important because they work together to make up who you are.

Musical Expression

Facilitator Note: If your group is engaged by musical expression, you might want to use activities such as singing, simple musical instruments, percussion instruments, drumming, etc.  The activity of drumming can be done using plastic buckets or containers or using hands on tabletops. Please keep in mind the age of your students as well as the individual skill levels and specific disabilities to allow time frames that are appropriate for your group.

Activity 2B: “Music About Me”

Time: 10 minutes or more
Facilitator Script: Today, we are going to create songs or music that tell about you. What do you want to tell others about yourself? What do you want the world to know about who you are? What do you like to do?  How can you tell these things about yourself using song or music?  Create your own song or music that tells about you.
Facilitator Note: Following the work time, state “Let’s share our music that we have created to tell about us.” As each person shares, point out the different aspects of what is being shared through the musical expression. Emphasize that all of these are important because they work together to make up who you are.

 

Activity #3 Dramatic Arts

Facilitator Note: If your group is engaged by dramatic arts, such as role plays, skits, improvisation, etc., you may choose to use dramatic arts activities.

Activity 3A: Self-Advocacy Skills—”Communicating with Style!”

Time: 5 to 15 minutes
Facilitator Note: If you can move outdoors to an area such as a parking lot, use hard-boiled eggs for this activity. Otherwise, use small bean bags in front of the group.
Facilitator Script: When we want to get a message across to someone, we can communicate our message in different ways. One style of communicating is passive. What do you think a passive communication might look like? (Reinforce responses such as looking all around or out the window but not looking at the person you are communicating with, using a weak or uncertain tone of voice, changing your mind often or saying things like “I don’t really know.” Or “I’m not sure.”)
Another way to get a message across is with an aggressive style of communication. What do you think an aggressive communication might look like? (Reinforce responses such as using a loud voice, making forceful gestures such as pointing a finger or shaking a fist, using an angry facial expression, or moving into the other person’s space.)
A third way to get a message across is with an assertive communication. What do you think an assertive communication might look like? (Reinforce responses such as using a normal tone of voice, looking at the person you are communicating with, making eye contact, or making a point clearly so that your message is understood.)
Facilitator Note: When you feel that the group has a basic understanding of these three communication styles, choose two people to demonstrate getting a message across to their partner in one of three styles—Passive, Aggressive, or Assertive, and using either a hard-boiled egg or a small bean bag, but with no words. Communicate one of the three styles to the pair without the rest of the group knowing which it is. After the pair has improvised getting the message across, ask the group which style they think that was. What did they see that made them think it was (Passive, Aggressive or Assertive)? Discuss with the group until the group agrees on 1 of these, and then ask the pair to let the group know if this was correct.  Discuss how the pair could have changed their improvisation if the group could not tell which style they were demonstrating.
Finally, ask which communication style the group thinks would be the best choice if you are advocating for something that you need, such as help in being able to do something.  (If you are outside using hard-boiled eggs, be sure to leave time for clean-up at the end of this activity.)

Activity 3B: Self-Advocacy Skills—”Great Debate”

Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Facilitator Note: Use the same strategy as in the Activity 3A: Self-Advocacy Skills—”Communicating with Style!” to make sure your group has a basic understanding of the 3 communication styles of Passive, Aggressive and Assertive.  Then, choose two people at a time to have a one-minute debate in one of the three styles, and using nonsense topics like Dogs vs. Cats, Baseball vs. Soccer, Pies vs. Cakes, etc.  Assign one person in the pair dogs and the other person cats. The student must advocate that dogs are better than cats or cats are better than dogs, while using the communication style you provided. Call time after 30 seconds and the other person has a 30-second opportunity. Change pairs of debaters and topics of debate as time permits. If your group is especially engaged by this activity, they might make suggestions for debate topics.
Finally, ask which communication style the group thinks would be the best choice if you are advocating for something that you need, such as an accommodation to help you in school or at work.

 

Activity#4 Role Models

Facilitator Note: For young people with disabilities, it is very important to identify with role models who are people with disabilities living independently in the community. Sources for finding role models that may serve as guest speakers in class include:

Activity 4A: “And Now, A Word from the Real World”

Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Facilitator Note: Invite a speaker or a small panel of 2 to 4 people with disabilities to briefly share how and why they disclosed as a person with a disability, and what accommodations help them in school or at work. Have the speaker or panel members emphasize that they did not disclose about the nature or extent of their disability, but focused on the difficulties they faced and how the accommodation requested would help them to be successful with school or work. Then allow time for the group to ask questions and dialogue with the role model(s).

Activity 4B: Virtual Reality—”A Word from the Real World”

Time: 5 – 15 minutes
Facilitator Note: Using Skype, FaceTime, or a similar platform, invite a speaker or a small panel of 2 to 4 people with disabilities to briefly share how and why they disclosed as a person with a disability, and what accommodations help them in school or at work. Have the speaker or panel members emphasize that they did not disclose about the nature or extent of their disability, but focused on the difficulties they faced and how the accommodation requested would help them to be successful with school or work. Then, allow time for the group to ask questions and dialogue with the role model(s).

SECTION 7: Handouts or Materials Needed

  • Audiovisual equipment for PowerPoint presentation and/or videos.
  • Art materials, blank paper, colored pencils or markers.
  • Photocopies of PowerPoint slides, including alternate formats such as large print, Braille, and electronic formats such as a USB drive for students with visual or print disabilities.

 

SECTION 8: After Class

Homework Possibilities

Let’s think about how to disclose a disability and practice the steps we discussed today.

  • Make a list of the good things that might happen if you disclose your disability.
  • Make a list of the risks you might have if you disclose your disability.
  • Write out the things you want to say when you talk about your disability. Write this list as if you are making plans to discuss the need for a reasonable accommodation with a new boss.

During the next class session, we will review disclosure and discuss your ideas as group.

 

Quiz Questions

Use these quiz questions to reinforce learning by giving this pop quiz at the end of class, as a homework assignment, or at the beginning of the next class session. Correct answers are noted with an asterisk (*)

  • Telling an employer or college staff about my disability is an important decision.
  • Yes*
  • No
  • Telling someone about my disability is called disclosure.
  • Yes*
  • No
  • Writing down what you want to say when you disclose your disability can be helpful.
  • Yes*
  • No
  • The main reason for disclosing a disability is to ask for an accommodation.
  • Yes*
  • No
  • I should wait to ask for an accommodation until things get really bad for me.
  • Yes
  • No*
  • The ADA has clear instructions for how you can ask for an accommodation.
  • Yes
  • No*
  • It is important that I give my employer or school as much information as I can about my disability.
  • Yes
  • No*
  • My employer must give me an accommodation.
  • Yes
  • No*
  • I can get accommodation help in college at the school’s disability services office.
  • Yes*
  • No
  • If I use social media, I should be careful about what I post.
  • Yes*
  • No

SECTION 9: Resources for Students

Additional Reading and Videos

Americans with Disabilities Act Information Center

ADA National Network

Phone: 1-800-949-4232 (toll free)
Website: adata.org
Facebook: facebook.com/adanetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/ADANational

National Resources

Community Organizations

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