so I was applying for another promotion at work and the application asked if I was disabled... and then listed a category that I most definitely fall into as a disability. I don't consider myself disabled or require any special accommodations at work, so why should I admit to something that has a serious stigma against it?
do I have to say yes? will they fire me if I say no and then they find out?
I remember people asking me about stating their community background on equality opportunity sections of forms when I as 17yrs old, I knew people who wouldnt state they were from either of the two main communities here because they identified as atheist, which is grand but for the purposes of the equality opportunity assessment it probably would have better if they could have stated something, it wasnt about them individually or personally is what I mean.
I can understand what you are saying as, while the definitely should not be a stigma against disability, I also think its a reality that there is one and some people do not wish to manage, work along side or be managed by people with life limiting illnesses, for instance, they imagine all sorts of things about illnesses, my reference point is diabetes, which is way less understood than what I imagined, usually its individuals who are the worst examples of people ill with diabetes which have formed peoples opinions of all diabetics.
Although, I always declare, its important to declare anything which may be important at a later date.
Not declaring it does not actually protect you from others discovering it and acting in a prejudiced manner or stigmatising it but seeking to counter their actions if and when they do may be difficult if you have not declared it when directly asked/at the first possible opportunity. Discriminating against someone with a disability, for reasons of the disability, if you can evidence it, is a serious big deal in the UK.
