The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the U.S. Department of Labor created a new resource for employers and hiring managers to ensure that they are having the most accessible, inclusive and effective job interviews with applicants with disabilities — Focus on Ability: Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities. This tipsheet for employers and hiring managers offers practical help during the interviewing process to make sure the focus is on an applicant’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job for which they are applying for.
This resource outlines the steps employers can take to conduct effective interviews of applicants with disabilities, as well as other considerations in the hiring process. The tipsheet can connect employers with information regarding their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related laws as they apply to the hiring process of individuals with disabilities.
Removing unnecessary barriers in hiring qualified individuals helps employers maintain an accessible interview process that focuses on the applicant’s ability to perform the job for which they are applying for.
Resources
Focus on Ability: Interviewing Applicants with Disabilities: dol.gov/agencies/odep/publications/fact-sheets/focus-on-ability-interviewing-applicants-with-disabilities
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
1-800-526-7234 (voice/TTY)
JAN is a free, confidential service from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that provides information on job accommodations for people with disabilities, the employment provisions of the ADA and other related legislation.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
1-800-669-4000 (voice); 1-800-669-6820 (TTY)
The EEOC enforces the ADA’s employment provisions. The section of its Web site titled “Disability Discrimination” provides access to resources that can answer employers’ questions about how to ensure their hiring process is accessible to people with disabilities.
Ten regional ADA Centers sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research provide ADA information, training and technical assistance across the nation.
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN)
EARN is a free, confidential service from ODEP that connects employers seeking workers with qualified candidates with disabilities and offers technical assistance to employers on issues relating to hiring and employing individuals with disabilities.