Tips for interviewing people with disabilities

Disabled people are becoming a more visible presence in India’s workforce. This is good news and the numbers to grow.

Companies too need to become more attuned to setting up systems in place to enable this change. This means not just accessible infrastructure, but also ensuring proper etiquette is followed while hiring people with disabilities for suitable roles in the organization.

Here are some things to keep in mind while interviewing a person with a disability for a job:

• Prepare ahead. If the person has shared their disability in the application, ask what adjustments they may need during the interview. Like a person who is visually impaired may need more detailed directions to find the location. Ensure your building and the interview room is accessible. If paperwork needs to be completed before or during the interview, make sure its available in accessible formats.
• Frame questions that are about the job requirements so this way the candidate has an opportunity to talk about their skills and abilities. To give an example, instead of a question like, “give details about working in the billing counter’, you could ask “tell us about how you helped a customer who wanted a refund”.
• Do not ask questions about how the person acquired their disability. You can only ask questions about how the person’s disability might relate to doing the job
• Don’t patronise people with disability.
• Speak directly to the person, rather than through a companion, interpreter or aid if they are present.
• Give enough time for the person to respond.
• You can ask questions about keeping the workplace safe for the candidate.

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