The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Disclosure of Disability Status of College Students With Disabilities

Abstract

The increased number of students with disabilities in higher education promotes the need for specified career services for this population. Individuals with disabilities have historically struggled in employment settings, facing unemployment, underemployment, and wage disparities. Employees with disabilities are faced with the choice of whether or not to disclose their status to employers. A survey was designed to assess the relationship between the act of disclosing and other individual differences, such as type of disability, age at disability onset, use of informal compensatory strategies, use of formal accommodations, and work satisfaction. Disclosing disability status was found to have a significant relationship to type of disability and negative experiences in employment setting. Limitations of the investigation and implications for counselors are discussed.