Am I misusing the Disability Confident Scheme?

[Castlespring]

I have a disability but dont consider myself disabled. You could argue that my disability does affect my day to day, mainly memory and hearing but I manage it (mostly) without problems so if I'm honest I'd say it doesnt. People cant really tell. I could provide evidence if asked (but they wont).

My employer offers a Disability Confident Scheme. That means that if you meet the minimum standard in your job application, you get an interview. It does not mean you get the job over someone who performs better in the interview.

I have zero concerns that declaring my disability would be problematic.

My question is... there is a job I want and could do. My application should be enough to get to interview BUT it's a very desirable job and I know a lot of people will be applying for it throughout the organisation.

If I go down the DCS route could potentially take the place of someone who wrote a better application. They are very strict about the numbers they interview so they wont just create additional interview slots for DCS candidates.

I wouldnt have an issue using it if I considered myself disabled, but I dont. So am I misusing it even though on paper I'm eligible to use it?

It's due in my lunchtime tomorrow and I'm hovering over the box.

YANBU - you are eligible so use it
YABU - You are not using it in the spirit it was intended and are abusing it.

You won’t take the place of someone who wrote a better application. They will just adjust the baseline scores upwards, so you wouldn’t get an interview. We mark all job applications initially without looking to see if people are disability confident. If they are, then we take another look at them and discuss if they do meet the minimum standard. If they do, then obviously we interview them. But to be honest, if they didn’t make the first sift, my experience has been that they don’t usually outperform the rest of the field at interview.

I don't think it's wrong to use it, but if your condition doesn't negatively affect your ability to produce an application, there doesn't seem a lot of point. It's only worthwhile if you know, due to your condition, you wouldn't be able to do yourself justice in an application.

I don't feel comfortable saying day to day out loud 'I'm disabled' but life IS harder and I do need accomodations sometimes such as higher tolerance for time off due to being sick more often, more time off for medical appointments etc so I do tick yes because if you get the job and ask for accomodations when you need them down the line they might ask but did you declare your disability at the outset? (like my new manager did when I unexpectedly needed a bit of leeway in the beginning).

Definitely not misusing it.

As an interviewer I’d want to know about hearing issues so can make appropriate adjustments. Mainly to avoid my mumbling habit.

You have barriers to access. Things are harder for you than others because of your disability. For example, you will have had less time to spend on the application than someone without additional barriers.

You won’t be displacing the best candidate, you’ll be displacing an ‘almost as good’ candidate. At worst you are stopping someone else gaining interview experience.

Exactly this!

Exactly.

I have a classic hidden disability - chronic migraine.

On a good day, you'll see zero evidence of it. On a bad day I'm incapable of the most basic of functions such as eating, walking or speaking clearly (aphasia).

I always use the DCS because if I'm being interviewed on a bad day, I may need to beg for a reschedule or major adjustments to the situation.

When you live with a disability you have to adapt your life so you don't always see how much the impact would be without one. I'm autistic, and I don't tend to think I'm disabled, though occasionally will have discussions with people where I think 'Oh so you don't do X' and realise how much I have curated my life to be one I can handle. In work for example I ended up in a job where I work alone a lot, and naturally have breaks from talking to people (travelling). If I had to say, manage a team, my disability would become much more apparent!

If you claim you do not have a disability then no, don't use the scheme.

I'm interested in which disabilities people can have but simultaneously not have.

If you do not feel disabled, your disability doesn't impact on you in any negative ways whatsoever, then I suppose you should consider yourself able bodied/non disabled for the purposes of adjustments, disability benefits etc?

I think we've been conditioned to think that 'disability' means a physical disability, or a mental one that is so severe that someone can't live independently. It's quite normal for people to feel guilty that they're 'not disabled enough' that's why a significant proportion of people under claim benefits they're entitled to.

I'd be very surprised if someone who has a condition that impacts their memory and hearing doesn't have impact on their day to day life compared to a non disabled person. But if it's something you've lived with a long time, and found a way to manage your life with it, it can be hard to think about how your life would be if you suddenly had full hearing and a good memory.

If there are DC candidates that meet the criteria then often the number of candidates interviewed is adjusted upwards. As pp mentioned, if there is a strong field and it looks like the DC candidates may not have the best application, hiring managers will want to ensure they interview a wider pool. If you get through the sift and you’re the best at interview you’ll get the job. If you’re not, you won’t. DCS enables a more level playing field but it’s a tough job market at the moment. You need a second or even third pair of eyes on applications to make sure you’re presenting yourself in the best way possible. If you get through to interview do a mock with someone who will be honest with you and prep hard. Good luck

Yeah, I think you're right. It's almost like a bit of denial or simply they've got used to living in that way and know no different. Or they just think they're are lots of others much worse off.

So it does depend a lot on how it affects you personally. Or your attitude to what legitimately constitutes 'disability'. It's not just Stephen Hawking or someone on a psych ward on section.

Like a person born with no legs might feel 'less disabled' than someone who just lost their legs a week ago. But everyone sees their own abilities and illnesses differently.

From your first paragraph, you clearly are disabled but you do what you need to do to present as normally as possible. You have to become comfortable with admitting that you are disabled. I know how hard this is to do because of the negative connotations.
I would say you definitely should tick the box yes that asks if you have a disability. If you don’t get called for interview check whether your application met the minimum criteria as I applied for a job and it was only when I questioned not being given an interview that they checked and I should have been offered an interview. Not everyone is aware of that disability tickbox and its implications with the DCS. They called me in for interview and I was successful. Good luck.

@BillieWiper I think it's also worth bearing in mind that there are levels of adaptation or support. Offering someone an interview is a pretty minor adaptation, it's by no means a guarantee of a job or any 'special' treatment. I have adaptations at work but its pretty much just that I take (my own) noise cancelling headphones with me, and my boss understands if I can choose when to go into the office, I'll do so later in the day or on Fridays when it's quieter.
I'm technically disabled but my level of functioning wouldn't ever qualify me for any state support. Not that it should, just that having a disability or identifying as disabled certainly doesn't mean you qualify for a lot of help, it's still typically on a case by case basis.

Yeah, totally. Thank you. Everyone really is unique and no two experience of illness or disability will be the same. I certainly hope that whoever is in need of extra support is able to access it.

If you don't, what are the odds that if you get to interview, you end up with a panel of three all talking at once and throwing questions and comments at you from out of your line of sight whilst there's a load of noise going on in the background (after somebody starts talking to you on the walk down the corridor to explain the competency test details without making sure you can see or hear them first?).

Ask me how I can give such a specific example of a 'disability confident' employer interview.

I read somewhere recently that all interview slots with some Disability confident employers are entirely taken up by those claiming a disability and there are no slots left for no disabled applicants. It’s become quite difficult in some sectors, because the disabled applicants are guaranteed an interview, and companies have to interview far more people than they ever intended.

I have epilepsy and progressive hearing loss.

My epilepsy is controlled so (touch wood) it doesnt affect me apart from occasional very short lived episodes. You wouldnt know I was having one. I havent lost consciousness in years so ot doesnt really affect me. It does mean I cant drive and have to be careful lone working etc but I just get jobs where that doesnt matter.

It does mess with my memory though. I was looking to retrain in a medical field but then realised that no patient wants their specialist to say "let me just check my notes" so had to give that up. But as long as I write things down, it's fine.

I have hearing aids but I find them quite stressful so dont really wear them.

So basically, I am disabled but it generalky doesnt affect what I do.

Thank you. It sounds like you're a really capable person despite your challenges. It's very admirable.

I think based on hearing loss
alone I'd feel comfortable using the scheme - even if, as pp say, it's to protect you later when you need adaptations.

My brother has hearing loss and doesn't like to think it should affect him, but it affects every part of his day and even things like not being able to go to loud environments with colleagues. He has adapted so he doesn't think it's that much of an issue (but equally would give anything to have full hearing again).

A lot of people that are disabled don't consider themselves disabled, it's their normal so of course it seems normal to them. They have often made all sorts of adjustments to their life to make their life work ok for them, sometimes without even really realising it.

This is often true of people with ADHD or ASD for example. DS has ASD and dyspraxia but would never describe himself as disabled.

Ticking the box isn't misusing it OP, the system is designed to help disabled people of which from a legal point of view you are one. Disabled people are significantly under represented in the UK workforce.

I've had more at times more DCS applicants who could meet the criteria than we could feasibly interview- eg 30+. They say it would guarantee you an interview but often it just can't. Aim for the best application you can have but a basic pass and DCS isn't always enough in this economy.

@Castlespring that you have to avoid certain jobs - ones that require driving and lone working - is evidence that your disability affects you and a reason why you should tick the box. I know none of us like to think that we're impacted by a disability and I'm not saying it to make you feel bad, just to see the perspective of why you're not being unfair in using the scheme - you're impacted by having a smaller job pool as a result of your disabilities.

I thought the idea was to help disabled people where they had been disadvantaged in the job market due to their disability. So eg. they might not have as much experience or may have gaps in employment because their disability has made it harder to find or keep a suitable job. Rather than immediately binning the application they may be given an interview as a chance to prove themselves.

If your career's been absolutely fine I don't see the need for it. This is different to asking for reasonable adjustments should you be offered an interview, or the job.

I tick the box, but in other scenarios where my disability hasn't affected me I wouldn't mention it.