We're currently in the midst of Disability History Month 2022, and to celebrate it we wanted to talk about how you can be disability inclusive in your interview process! The first and most important thing to remember is that disabilities come in all shapes and sizes – cliché, but true. A practise or process may work perfectly for one candidate, but be completely wrong for another. What it really all comes down to is being ready to listen, engage and respond to the individual. They’re the expert in the room – not you. They are the one who has lived with their disability day-to-day, knows how it affects them specifically and how to adjust for it.

Below, we’ve broken down some tips on how to cater for some different types of disabilities; and tips which are all attainable, regardless of if you’re startup, scaleup or global corporation. Catering to disabled talent often doesn’t entail the resources or difficulties people seem to think it will, and so even if your headcount is only 5 people right now, you should be prioritising inclusivity. By no means is this list exhaustive – and like we said, at the end of the day it comes down to the individual person and opening channels of communication so they feel safe to express how the process is going to best suit them. But this is a good place to start!

General best practise:

• Ensure there is transparency prior to the interview – what is important will differ individual to individual, but generally it’s best to keep people informed about: how many people will be interviewing them, who they are, how long the interview will take and what type of interview it will be.
• Make yourself easily contactable prior to the interview so if they have any questions regarding accessibility or anything else, they feel comfortable and able to get in touch.
• Don’t make assumptions about accessibility based on their disability – it may be entirely well-meaning, but allow them to communicate and make decisions regarding what they need.
• Service animals and guide dogs are working – do not distract, pet or praise the animal, no matter how cute they might be! It’s not just a pet but a working animal, which is really important to how that person functions and moves through life. Ensure they are allowed into the building without issue (e.g. if you have a receptionist, maybe give them a heads up), and have access to water.
• Don’t ask the candidate any invasive questions about their disability during the interview. Not only is it disrespectful, but it’s actually unlawful under the Equality Act of 2010.

How to accommodate a candidate with a physical disability

• It’s perhaps an obvious one, but ensure the interview room and the building is physically accessible by wheelchair or other assistive device, and there is a disabled parking space available for their use.
• Allow plenty of time for the interview to accommodate the time it may take to get the candidate to the room and settled. It will be uncomfortable, not to mention extremely impolite, if you are rushing the interview to get to another engagement.
• A wheelchair or any other assistive device is part of that person’s personal space – don’t feel entitled to touch, lean on or in any way interact with it.
• Sit down during the interview, rather than standing or moving about the room if possible; it can be intimidating to tower over someone as you speak to them.  

How to accommodate a candidate with a hearing impairment

• If interviewing someone with a hearing impairment, make sure you face them directly, don’t cover your mouth as you speak and wait to speak until they are looking at you. Ensure the room is well-lit, so they can lip-read if they need.
• Hearing aids amplify all sound so minimise background noise as much as is possible – close windows in case of loud traffic or building work, and hold the interview in a room where office noise won’t be an issue.
• Speak naturally. Shouting will not help, so just use regular, relaxed speech. Don’t overemphasise your lip movements or overcompensate with facial movement as this will only make it more difficult. Again, it may be coming from a well-intentioned place, but it will only adversely affect communication.
• If there are multiple interviewers, try not to flit between people speaking quickly as this could cause confusion. Speak clearly one by one and signpost when you are handing over to a colleague.
• Do not be embarrassed to repeat questions if there is any misunderstanding or if asked to.
• This may seem an obvious one, but you’d be surprised how many people are ignorant to this – if they have an interpreter with them, direct questions to the candidate, not the interpreter. It’s extremely rude and will only make them feel invisible in a space where they should shine!

How to accommodate a candidate with a visual impairment

• Clearly identify yourself and anyone else in the room with you, as well as your relative placement in the room, just to make sure they feel settled and aware of their surroundings.
• If you ever pause to take notes, indicate this to the candidate as they might not always be able to hear you writing.
• Offer to guide the candidate – never assume, or grab them without consent. Allow them to take your arm and then place their hand on the back of the chair and give a verbal cue rather than trying to awkwardly seat them.
• Ensure the room is clear of any obstacles and lit appropriately – just check in with the candidate that the lighting is okay for them if you’re unsure!

How to accommodate candidates with learning difficulties or neurological disorders

• Some people on the autism spectrum may struggle with handshakes or maintaining eye contact – traits which are often seen as cornerstones of a ‘good interviewee’. Be aware of this and judge for skill/aptitude rather than conventional social skills.
• They may want an advocate or friend to accompany them – be ready to accommodate this. Always direct questions to the candidate and not to the third party.
• They may need longer than usual to process a question and formulate an answer – be comfortable waiting patiently. Good interviewers understand and embrace silence.
• Hypothetical or abstract interview questions such as ‘what’s your biggest weakness?’ or ‘how do you define success?’ can often be difficult for some people as they may think quite literally. Think about reframing these questions to more tangible or literal perspectives.
• And perhaps most importantly – other than the necessary accommodations, speak to them as you would anyone else. Don’t speak down to them or talk to them like a child, as it’s alienating and patronising.

Some other fantastic resources to dip into…

• The Accessful Foundation offers free webinars and one-to-one mentorship
• Equalture have created potential-oriented neuroscientific games which eliminate bias in the hiring process
• Toby Mildon’s fantastic book ‘Inclusive Growth’ as well as a wealth of other resources on his website.
• Also check out the video of our event Embracing Underrepresented Talent: Disability in Tech here!

Alternative provisions

Sometimes a traditional interview simply isn’t the right option. That’s fine! There are plenty of alternatives which can work just as well, depending on your company and the role to fill:

• Invite the applicant on a tour of the workplace; the candidate then has a chance to get a feel of the energy, noise levels and physical setup of their possible environment. Pay attention to how they respond.
• Consider a ‘working interview’ – this way the candidate can physically demonstrate their value by completing certain tasks or tests within the interview space.
• Assigning a project prior to the interview – then using the interview time to have the candidate present back their work. For many, having the space to complete a project in their own time, on their own terms, makes a huge difference.

And finally, if it gets to the point of making an offer…

The candidate might require certain adjustments to the way they actually complete their role, or function within the company – these can be discussed and established after the job offer has actually been made. If you’re concerned about the costs associated, there’s a government scheme called Access to Work which can help with the financial adjustments needed, but many of these can be free or at least extremely cheap. It’s important to remember more diverse and inclusive teams have higher productivity and get better results; so in the long run, it’s going to save and even make you money.

If you are a founder wanting to work on your disability inclusive hiring practises, get in touch with our co-founder and CEO Alan Furley on LinkedIn. Or if you’re a disabled person in the market for a new job, head to our live Jobs Board or give us a call on 0117 428 0600!