Empowering Students to Advocate for Accommodations in the Employment Process

Many students with disabilities arrive at college familiar with navigating academic accommodations having done so in high school. However, students often struggle with when and how to disclose their disability or request accommodations when seeking internships or jobs, especially if they are not connected with their career services office.

At Northwestern University, about 13% of the total undergraduate/graduate student population are registered with AccessibleNU, although many more identify as having a disability without formally registering. In response to challenges students face in the job search, a workshop series was developed during the 2024–2025 academic year and continues to present.

This workshop helps students learn effective strategies for disclosure and requesting accommodations throughout the hiring process, using information sharing, role play activities, and assessment to build skills, measure growth, and refine the program over time.

The presentation will share outcomes from the workshops as well as strategies attendees can use to help students decide when and how to disclose and request accommodations from employers.

Following this program, you will be able to:

• Share strategies that help students decide when and how to disclose and request accommodations from employers.
• Explore ways to better support students in achieving their career goals.