Should People List Their Disability On Their Dating Profile?

Here’s a tricky question: should people with disabilities and/or any sort of physical or mental differences disclose them on their online dating sites?

Recently, I was surprised to see a guy mention his Asperger’s Disorder on his dating profile. It made me wonder about men and women deal with their disabilities while online dating: if it’s better to be upfront about it, or if it’s something they prefer to bring up in person.

If I was about to go on a date with someone with a disability, let’s say blindness, deafness, someone who walked in a wheelchair, etc, I would definitely not want to be caught off-guard. It wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me, but it’s just something that I would need to know going into it. On the other hand, I can imagine how it could be difficult to bring up one’s disability after casually exchanging messages: potentially awkward for both parties.

But listing it on your profile, somewhere between your favorite movie and your love of dogs, seems tricky as well. Maybe some people have disabilities that can be easily disclosed through a picture — a wheeled chair, a cane, a…very obtrusive hearing aid. (I don’t know.)

What do you guys think? Is a disability something that people should list upfront?