Avoiding Pitfalls When Engaging Candidates With Disabilities  - ERE

To avoid pitfalls, employers should prioritize understanding the various forms that disability discrimination can take, move proactively to emphasize inclusion in their hiring practices and be prepared to accommodate an employee’s disability. 

Employers may inadvertently discriminate against job applicants with disabilities by treating them unfairly due to their condition. An example of this is job listings that use words that risk discouraging candidates with disabilities from applying because they emphasize a physical-activity requirement. 

It’s not necessary to excessively characterize or exaggerate the physical demands of a position; simply state the requirements of the position, with the knowledge that someone who applies will clarify how they can meet the requirements with ADA accommodations. 

Additionally, employers can increase the opportunity for diverse hiring opportunities by listing job qualifications using more general, open-ended language, or using proactively inclusive language that makes it clear the employer is accustomed to providing accommodations under ADA.

Many individuals with disabilities won’t apply for jobs that don’t relay flexibility regarding work-from-home or mention any kind of disability policy in the benefits section.

Keeping these elements in mind when crafting job postings will help encourage more inclusivity and diversity of applicants and help employers avoid discrimination in the hiring process.

Discrimination can also occur during the interview process when interviewers may feel compelled to ask about the nature or severity of an applicant’s disabilities, such as asking about an individual’s limitations in the workplace or whether they are able to accomplish certain responsibilities.

Trust that an individual who is applying for the job will assume the responsibility of doing that job and will clarify their need for accommodation if needed.

There are many kinds of accommodations that employers can offer to be more inclusive to individuals with disabilities. Examples include:

• Additional medical leave to give employees time to attend to their health
• Job restructuring to ensure the employee is able to fulfill job responsibilities
• Allowing a more flexible work schedule for employees to maintain their routine
• Making the office wheelchair-friendly with a ramp and/or automatic doors
• Hiring an interpreter for a hearing-impaired worker or purchasing software to enable a blind employee to perform job duties