Hi Anthony,

Thanks for writing to us. Figuring out how to answer these voluntary self-identification of disability forms can be puzzling for people with a cancer history (or any history of a serious medical condition), especially if they don’t need accommodations or consider themselves “disabled.”  As you determine the best way to proceed when faced with one of these forms, here are some things to consider:

1) You never want to lie. This is why the dealing with forms is more difficult than when you are actually having an in-person conversation where you can use techniques like the Swivel (http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/interviewing/the-swivel) to direct the conversation.

2) Make sure to read the question and answer what is specifically being asked and not more than that. Phrasing really matters and since each form might ask the question differently, you want to really consider what is being asked before you do anything. Sometimes on a first read we think we know what info someone is looking for, but it’s actually us filling in details that aren’t not really there.

 
3) The most important thing you can do is be comfortable with your answer. Some people will choose to select “prefer not to answer,” while others will feel that is as much of a red flag as selecting an answer that indicates you have or have had a disability (however the form is defining it).

4) Usually, these questions are being asked for demographic purposes and nothing more. Often there are a series of them so if you choose to say "prefer not to answer" for one, you may want to consider saying it for all of the demographic questions to be consistent. Again, this will be a personal choice.

5) CAC spends a lot of time focused on encouraging people to develop their networking skills (https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/networking). Part of the value of networking is that even though you might still encounter these forms (and a formal screening/hiring process), networking with someone at a company you're interested in working for might help overcome any stumbling blocks from a blind application.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at cancerandcareers@cew.org or 646-929-8032.

Kind regards,

Nicole Franklin, MPH

Senior Manager of Programs

Cancer and Careers