Workers at a conference table

Creating a more inclusive workplace

The process of interviewing and hiring a person with a disability is often the same as interviewing and hiring a person without a disability

One difference may be that some candidates with disabilities may request accommodations for the interview process.

Either way, creating a more inclusive workplace for people with disabilities is not only helpful when you receive a specific accommodation request; it also enhances the company culture and atmosphere for all employees.

Interviewing

When you interview a candidate with a disability, it’s important to appropriately assess his or her skills. Here are some strategies on effectively interviewing candidates with disabilities:

  • Ensure that all employees involved in the interviewing and hiring process have access to updated disability awareness resources.
  • When inviting applicants for an interview, review all aspects of the interview and hiring process. For example, inform candidates if they will be required to take a test to demonstrate their ability to perform actual or simulated tasks. This notification gives all applicants the opportunity to request an accommodation if necessary.
  • Focus on the applicant’s skills. During the interview, concentrate on his or her abilities and ask questions about the candidate’s background and experience. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits disability-related questions or medical exams prior to the final job offer.
  • Remember that a specific disability or medical condition may not prohibit a person from performing a particular function.
  • If you have a question about a candidate’s ability to perform a specific job function, you may ask, “How would you perform this particular task?”
  • Offer assistance to an applicant if you feel it is necessary. Remember: Ask before helping and understand that assistance may not be accepted or needed.
  • Remember that not all applicants with disabilities will disclose their disability to you during the interview process, and may not even after being hired.
  • Be aware of your response and reaction when meeting a new applicant with a disability, especially if you were unaware the applicant had a disability before your initial meeting. Remember: Focus on ability and experience.
  • If an applicant is utilizing a service animal, remember that the animal is a working animal. It is important to not distract the animal from the job by petting or calling the animal.
  • Be sure that interviewers thoroughly understand the essential functions of the job so that interview questions are related to the job functions and not the disability.

Additional tips for interviewing applicants with Disabilities

Next Steps

In addition to offering a position to a candidate with a disability, there are things you can do to promote and support employing people with disabilities, including:

  • Make disability resource information regarding company policies and procedures a part of your orientation or new employee packet.
  • Assess the design of your workplace and consider ways your company can utilize a Universal Design approach of making the space accessible for all employees.
  • Design a fact sheet detailing your company’s disclosure policy of disabilities and health-related issues. Distribute the sheet to all new and current employees and hang in work areas that are accessible to all employees.
  • Include your commitment to a diverse workforce — including people with disabilities — in your mission statement.
  • Reach out to other employers to learn more about their promising practices of hiring people with disabilities.
  • Review the language that your company uses to refer to people with disabilities in and out of the workplace. Check out our “What’s in a Word” reference guide and the attitudinal accessibility section of this website for more information.

Resources

  • The Commonwealth’s One-Stop Career Centers are designed to meet the needs of job seekers and businesses in Massachusetts, and offer a wide variety of employment-related services for job seekers and businesses.
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces the ADA’s employment provisions. Click on “Disability Discrimination” to learn how to make your hiring process inclusive of people with disabilities.