The CC-305 disability disclosure form is a short, voluntary questionnaire that federal contractors use to collect workforce demographic data. It asks one question — whether you have a disability — and gives you three choices: yes, no, or decline to answer. Your answer cannot be used to make any decision about hiring, pay, promotion, or continued employment, and none of the three responses puts you at any disadvantage.
How To Fill It Out
The form takes under a minute. Enter your name and the current date at the top. If you already work for the company, add your employee ID; applicants can leave that field blank or write “N/A.”1U.S. Department of Labor. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
Then check one of these boxes:
- Yes, I have a disability, or have had one in the past. This covers current conditions as well as ones you’ve recovered from or that are in remission.
- No, I do not have a disability and have not had one in the past.
- I do not want to answer.
That’s it. You don’t attach medical records, a doctor’s note, or any other proof. All three responses fully satisfy what the employer needs from you. The form states directly that your answer is kept confidential and will not be used against you, whether you’re applying for a job or already on the payroll.1U.S. Department of Labor. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
What Counts as a Disability
For this form, a disability is a physical or mental condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The definition comes from federal regulation and is written broadly on purpose.2eCFR. 41 CFR Part 60-741 – Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors and Subcontractors Regarding Individuals with Disabilities Major life activities include breathing, walking, sleeping, seeing, hearing, and concentrating, along with the operation of major bodily systems such as the immune, neurological, or cardiovascular systems.3U.S. Department of Labor. Disability
The form itself gives examples to help you decide, including:
- Autoimmune disorders such as lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV/AIDS
- Cancer, past or present
- Cardiovascular or heart disease
- Mental health conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and PTSD
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy and other seizure disorders
- Blindness, low vision, deafness, or serious difficulty hearing
- Intellectual or developmental disabilities
- Mobility conditions where you use or benefit from a wheelchair, scooter, walker, or leg braces
- Gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome
- Celiac disease, cerebral palsy, and disfigurement
The list isn’t exhaustive. A condition that is episodic or in remission still counts if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active. If your condition isn’t listed but fits the general definition, you can still check “yes.”1U.S. Department of Labor. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
Who Sees Your Answer
Your response goes into a confidential data file that is kept separate from your regular personnel folder and medical file. Federal regulation requires that separation.4eCFR. 41 CFR 60-741.42 – Invitation to Self-Identify Hiring managers, supervisors, and coworkers should never see your individual answer.
What the employer actually uses is the aggregate: a workforce-level percentage showing how many employees have identified as having a disability. Those totals are what get reported to the government and reviewed by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs during a compliance check. The individual form stays out of the hands of anyone making decisions about your job.
Saying Yes Is Not an Accommodation Request
Checking “yes” on the CC-305 does not ask your employer for anything. It doesn’t put the company on notice that you need modified equipment, a schedule change, assistive technology, or any other adjustment. The form is a statistical data point, and it is not routed to anyone with authority to change your working conditions.
If you need a workplace accommodation, you have to ask for it separately. That means contacting HR or the office your employer designates for accommodations and going through the interactive process under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disclosing on the CC-305 alone will not start that process.
Why You’re Getting the Form
Only federal contractors above a certain contract size use the CC-305. Under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a business holding a federal contract worth more than $20,000 must take affirmative action to employ and advance qualified individuals with disabilities.5U.S. Department of Labor. Jurisdiction Thresholds and Inflationary Adjustments OFCCP has set a utilization goal of 7 percent for workers with disabilities that contractors measure their workforces against.6eCFR. 41 CFR 60-741.45 – Utilization Goals The data collected through the CC-305 is how they show whether they’re getting there.
Regulations require contractors to invite you to complete the form at three points: while you’re applying, after a job offer but before you start, and periodically once you’re employed. For current employees, the contractor must resurvey the workforce at least once every five years and send at least one reminder in between that you can update your status any time.4eCFR. 41 CFR 60-741.42 – Invitation to Self-Identify Many employers ask every year rather than waiting the full five. Getting the form more than once is normal, and your earlier answer isn’t binding — you can change your response at any time.