b'The win-win approach benets both you and To whom should I disclose my disability?the employer and demonstrates your willingness Your immediate supervisor is usually theto engage in a cooperative, non-adversarial person to whom you should rst disclose. Theprocessofidentifyingandimplementing supervisor may wish to involve othercost-eective accommodations. Approaching representatives of the employer, particularlythe conversation in this way is almost always a human resources specialist or a departmentmore eective than invoking your civil rights manager. Your coworkers have no legal rightor threatening to sue your employer if he or to know anything about your disability status,she doesnt meet your needs.but you may wish to let them know what isgoing on as a courtesy. Communications toDisclosing at work coworkers about your disability should comeThe best advice about disclosure and the from you, not your employer, and shouldaccommodation request process is to: include only the information needed to helpthem understand your situation.Be direct but friendly When considering disclosing, it is important Frame your disability-related work limitations to keep the focus on the symptoms or eectsin functional terms of your disability that specically aect your Focusonyouraccommodationneeds job performance. It is usually best to refrainrather than your medical diagnosis from providing clinical or medical descriptionsof any kind. Even if you choose to disclose your Emphasize the mutual benets of providing MS, avoid using terms such as exacerbation,you with on-the-job accommodations attack, progressive, and disease. Use your legal rights and recourses under Accommodationsthe ADA if, and only if, your employer Although each case must be evaluatedrefusestoprovideanappropriate individually, some common accommodationsaccommodation to meet your stated needs for people with MS may include: Modications to work schedules as a meansDiscussing accommodations of combating fatigue (e.g., an abbreviatedwith your employer work week or an extended lunch breakIn addition to framing ones MS in functional during which to rest)terms,peoplearealsoencouragedtoFlexibilityinthemannerorlocationinaccompany disclosure of their disability status which work is performed (e.g., home-basedwith a specic plan for the accommodations employment)that would be most benecial in performing theProvision of equipment (e.g., a modiedjob. That way, you take all of the uncertainty keyboard or computer screen, a motorizedout of the accommodation process. Employers scooter for a person with a mobilityare much more likely to approve a strategy impairment, or a fan for one who isthat you have identied rather than engage in sensitive to heat)the process of identifying what your specicRenovationsoftheworkenvironmentneeds are, especially during the job interview. (e.g., modifications of the restrooms toAlways prepare yourself beforehand.accommodate a motorized scooter)13 msfocusmagazine.org'