Hidden disability – why I decided to share

Meet Olga, an Account Manager with over nine years of experience in sales, procurement and vendor management. In the early stages of her career as a person with an invisible impairment, she had doubts about disclosing her disability to potential employers. But she decided to be open about it in order to be her authentic self. How does Olga reflect back on this decision today? Read on to hear how sharing her personal story helped her build a lasting career in a supportive environment.

I graduated with a degree in Applied Linguistics, and then extended my education by studying HR Management at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Being an enthusiastic graduate, I started my career at an IT company and gained insight into sales and procurement. Unfortunately, in 2016 I was involved in a car accident that led to my disability. I suffered a brain injury and had to have multiple surgeries, which led to me having five titanium plates in my face. I lost my sense of smell as well as hearing in one ear, and now my taste perception is reduced compared with before the accident. My disability is mostly invisible, but I live with its consequences every day. I get tired easily and it’s hard for me to spend too much time in crowded noisy places.

Gladly, not at all. When I joined UBS in 2019, it was the first time I was applying for a role while having a disability certificate. I wasn’t sure if I should disclose it or not. I already had some professional work experience, but I was worried how my disability would be treated during the recruitment process. I decided to be open about it, and today I see that it was the correct decision. UBS did not disappoint me! I joined the supply chain function, where I was responsible for maintaining vendor relationships, supporting business needs and participating in tendering processes. After five years, I decided to move internally to HR, where I’m currently using my knowledge and experience in my role as an Account Manager in the HR Vendor & Application Advisory team.

My previous work experience was related to providing outsourcing services. I wanted to grow within a global financial institution with a strong reputation where I could have a sense of longevity.

I started smoothly with a lot of support from HR, my manager and my team. I could immediately see how inclusive and friendly the UBS culture is. My disability doesn’t require any specific accommodations, but the acknowledgement and understanding of my impairment by people who I closely work with makes my everyday life easier and more comfortable.

I support and advise contract managers within the business who are responsible for recruitment services and vendor relations. My role gives me the opportunity to connect with many different people on a daily basis that I really enjoy. What I value the most in my role is open communication with my team and manager. Colleagues always make sure that my impairment is not impacting my ability to hear everything that we’re discussing when working together. I also feel strongly supported by my manager who knows my needs and always understands when I need a break. There is transparency between us and my voice is always heard.

Yes, I have the pleasure of being a co-chair of our UBS Ability employee network in Poland. When I joined UBS, one of my colleagues told me about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) space, and how active we are. She also invited me to join the Ability employee network and get to know more about all the initiatives that they take to increase disability awareness.
I was really impressed that such a network exists! I decided to join it right away and I’m still here. ​Our community connects employees with various types of disabilities, but also other colleagues who want to be engaged in strengthening disability inclusion. We organize numerous workshops, meetups and webinars to encourage networking and ensure that employees with disabilities can fulfill their potential. We’re also engaged with external initiatives outside of UBS, which bring benefits to our employees, our clients and the wider society by aiming to remove barriers and correct misconceptions about disabilities.

I fully understand that someone can be afraid of this. I felt exactly the same. It was hard to open up and share my personal story, but with time I experienced great opportunities for professional development and was able to be my authentic self. So, follow your dreams with no fear - this would be my recommendation. Always look for employers who show their commitment to building a working environment that's inclusive for all – you can be sure that you will be welcomed there with all your abilities.