Making Interviews Accessible for You

Throughout July, we're discussing the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). One key feature of the ADA prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment. That means employers must provide reasonable workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities. However, did you know that employers must also provide accommodations to people with disabilities who are applying for a job? Today, we're talking about accommodations in the interview process.

Requesting a reasonable accommodation

An employer may ask if you need a reasonable accommodation for the interview, or you may need to make the request yourself, either verbally or in written form.

We recommend requesting the accommodation when setting up the interview because the employer may need time to make arrangements. For example, if an employer needs to arrange for a different location for wheelchair accessibility, they may need time to find and reserve a space to hold the interview.

The employer is not required to provide the exact accommodation that you request as long as they provide a suitable accommodation. For example, if you are blind and request that an interview test be read to you, the employer may choose to offer the test on a computer using a screen reader or by audio recording instead as long as it allows you to complete the task.

Under the ADA, employers are not allowed to ask you questions about your disability before you're employed with them. However, an employer who may not be familiar with your disability may ask for more information about it before setting up accommodations. If they do, it is your responsibility to provide accurate information so that the employer can arrange the accommodation.

Interview accommodations

When you apply for and interview for a job, consider the following:

• Review the job posting. Make sure you have the qualifications for it. Employers are required to detail the essential functions of the job to ensure that qualified people with disabilities are not discriminated against.
• Know the questions they may ask. Even though employers are not allowed to ask questions about your disability before you're employed with them, if you're applying for a federal government position or for a job with a federal government contractor, they will ask you if you want to self-identify as a person with a disability under Sections 501 and 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Keep in mind that an employer who hires you is allowed to ask medical questions about your ability to complete job functions if these questions are asked of all employees, regardless of disability.
• Think about other accommodations you may need for the interview such as a sign language interpreter, someone to assist with filling out paperwork or that the interview be held somewhere with wheelchair accessibility.
• Ask about tests that you may need to take during the interview process, which may alert you to accommodations you'll need.

Additional Resources

• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Job Applicants and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• JAN: Employers' Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Employers Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN): Interviews