You never have to share a disability on job application forms in the United States: under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers may not ask questions likely to reveal a disability before they make a job offer, and any voluntary self identification form can be answered with "I do not wish to answer".
This page explains the disability, veteran, race and sex questions you may still see, what "self identify" means, what a protected veteran is, and how a recent Department of Labor rule changed the disability form many federal contractors used to show. It explains the rules in plain words; it is not legal advice.
Quick answers
The answer
You never have to share a disability before an offerThe rule
The ADA bars disability questions before a job offerContractor form
CC-305 is discontinued, per the Department of LaborProtected veteran
Four VEVRAA categories, answering is optionalWho sees it
Self identification answers are kept apart from the hiring fileAccommodations
You may ask for one for the hiring process at any time
What the ADA says about disability on job application questions
The ADA covers private employers with 15 or more employees, plus state and local governments. Before an offer, the employer may not ask whether you have a disability or ask medical questions, on the form or in an interview. The EEOC gives examples of questions that are off limits at this stage, such as whether you have a heart condition, how many sick days you took last year, or what prescription drugs you take.
What an employer may do before an offer is describe the hiring steps (an interview, a timed test, a skills demo) and ask if you will need an accommodation for them. After a conditional offer, it may ask medical questions or require an exam, as long as it does the same for everyone offered that kind of job.
Source: the EEOC fact sheet Job Applicants and the ADA. Federal job applicants get the same protection through Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act.
The federal contractor disability form has changed
For years, companies with federal contracts invited applicants to fill in the Department of Labor's Voluntary Self Identification of Disability form, known as CC-305. That is why so many online applications showed a disability page with three boxes.
A final rule under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, published a few months ago, ended that requirement. The Department of Labor's self identification form page now says the form is discontinued. In the rule, the department explained that it reads the ADA as barring disability questions before an offer even when answering is voluntary.
So you may see the disability page less often. Some portals may still show an older version for a while. Whatever you see, the choice stays yours.
What self identify means on a job application
To self identify is to tell the employer, by your own choice, which group you belong to: a race or ethnicity, a sex, protected veteran status, or in some older forms a disability. These questions usually sit on a separate page at the end of the application, often titled Voluntary self identification or EEO information.
| Question | Who usually asks | Must you answer? | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Race and ethnicity | Larger employers that track hiring for equal opportunity reports | No, you may decline | Kept apart from the file hiring managers read |
| Sex | Same as above | No, you may decline | Kept apart from the hiring file |
| Protected veteran status | Federal contractors under VEVRAA | No, you may decline | Kept private, per the Department of Labor form |
| Disability | Older contractor forms; now discontinued for contractors | No, and the ADA limits asking before an offer | Should never reach the hiring manager |
Choosing not to answer cannot be held against you. Employers use the totals for reports, not to judge one person.
What is a protected veteran on a job application?
The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) requires federal contractors to take affirmative action to hire and promote protected veterans. Despite the name, it is not only about the Vietnam era. The Department of Labor's sample VEVRAA form lists four categories:
- Disabled veteran: entitled to compensation under laws run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, or discharged because of a service connected disability.
- Recently separated veteran: within three years of discharge or release from active duty.
- Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran: served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition with an authorized campaign badge.
- Armed Forces service medal veteran: took part in a U.S. military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded.
If you fit one or more, you can tick "I identify as one or more of the classifications of protected veteran". You do not have to say which one. If you are a veteran who fits none of them, the honest answer is "I am not a protected veteran".
Sample answers for the self identification page
Protected veteran status: I identify as one or more of the classifications of protected veteran.
Protected veteran status: I am not a protected veteran.
Protected veteran status: I do not wish to answer.
Disability, if an older form still asks: I do not want to answer.
Race or ethnicity: Decline to self identify.
Pick the option that is true for you, or the decline option, and move on.
Write medical details, diagnoses or medicines in a text box on the application. Nothing on the form needs them.
Ask for an accommodation for the hiring process when you need one, in a short separate message.
Assume a question about accommodations for the interview is the same as being asked to reveal a disability. It is not.
Should you disclose a disability on a job application?
Only you can decide, and there is no single right answer. Many people say nothing on the form and raise it only if they need an accommodation. The EEOC suggests telling the employer as soon as you know you will need an accommodation for the hiring process, because things like interpreters, large print or extra test time take planning.
Subject: Interview accommodation, [Job title]
Hello [Recruiter name],
Thank you for scheduling my interview on [date]. For the written test, I will need [extra time / a screen reader / a quiet room]. Please let me know if you need anything from me to arrange it.
Best regards,
[Your name]
You do not need to name your condition to ask for an accommodation in the hiring process. Describe the change you need and why it helps you take part.
Does dyslexia count as a disability when applying for jobs?
It can. The ADA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, a record of one, or being regarded as having one. Learning disabilities such as dyslexia often meet that test, because reading and learning are major life activities. The EEOC's fact sheet uses dyslexia and learning disabilities in its examples about extra time and different test formats.
One limit: if the job itself is about reading, such as proofreading, the employer does not have to change a reading test. For other jobs, a test may need to be given another way.
More help for the rest of your form: common application questions, a box by box form guide and application terms explained.
Rules can change, as the contractor form did. Read the EEOC and Department of Labor pages linked here for the current version, and for your own situation talk to the EEOC, a disability rights group or an employment lawyer.
Questions people ask
Should I say I have a disability on a job application?
You do not have to. Before an offer, the ADA bars employers from asking disability questions, so you can pick the decline option or say nothing. Share it only if and when it helps you, such as when asking for an accommodation.
What does protected veteran mean on a job application?
It refers to veterans covered by VEVRAA: disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans. Federal contractors invite these veterans to identify themselves for affirmative action.
What does self identify mean on a job application?
Choosing, on your own terms, to tell the employer which group you belong to, such as your race or veteran status. Answering is voluntary, and the information should be kept away from the people making the hiring choice.
Why does a job application ask about race?
Larger employers and federal contractors track the makeup of their applicant pool for equal opportunity reports. The answer is optional and should not be used in deciding whether to hire you.
Can an employer reject me for choosing not to answer?
It should not happen. Declining to self identify cannot lawfully be held against you. If you believe it was, you can contact the EEOC about filing a charge.
Is the CC-305 disability form still used?
The Department of Labor says the form is discontinued after a recent Section 503 rule. You might still see an older copy in some portals for a while, and you can always decline it.