Mental Health and Privacy Issues
Disclosing Privacy
Do I have an obligation to disclose my disability?There is no legal obligation for you to tell your educational institution or your employer that you have a disability or mental health issues. It is totally up to you whether you disclose your condition or not. It is a case of weighing the possible benefits of disclosing against the possible negatives for yourself.
Why should I choose to disclose my disability?Many people believe that disclosing a mental health issue to potential employees or educators will reflect badly on them and diminish their chances of getting the job or the place. However, you must remember that if an individual or organisation treats you less favourably because of your disability, their behaviour constitutes discrimination and is therefore unlawful.
There are many benefits to disclosing your mental health issues at university. By telling teachers and support staff about your condition you can receive help that will make your time at uni less stressful and more fulfilling. University staff will not judge you and are bound by confidentiality and privacy laws. Disclosing to an employer or a potential employer forewarns them of any future absences from your employment you may have due to medical appointments or illness and it allows you to alert them to any adjustments need to be made to the workplace or your work routine, such as more regular breaks. In deciding to disclose you may want to consider the following issues:
- whether your disability impacts or may impact on your ability study or your ability to perform some tasks required by the job
- whether your disability requires modifications made to your learning or working environment such as a special chair
- whether there are services that you know are available at your university that would be useful to you, such as note taking services
- whether the position is one for which it is desirable that it is done by a person with a disability, such as a disability liaison officer
- whether their may be problems that will arise later on, the impact of which could be reduced by disclosing your disability now.
