Interviewing People with Disabilities

General guidelines

Treat the people with a disability with the same respect you would treat any applicant, addressing them with the same formality and in a manner appropriate to their age.

Always look and speak directly to a person with a disability. Don't be embarrassed if you slip up with common expressions like, "See you later" or "Got to be running along" and then realise that what you have said relates to the person's disability.

Always be willing to repeat a question. If after the first repetition an interviewee does not understand, ask the same thing in another way. Exercise patience when speaking and when listening.

Assume the person is of normal intelligence - less than one third of people with a disability have an intellectual disability. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Ask for clarification. Don't feel embarrassed if you are having difficulty understanding an applicant; it is unlikely to be news to them that they are sometimes difficult to understand.

Unless you are familiar with the person, don't touch them in overly familiar ways.

Common mistakes made when interviewing people with a disability are:

• Openly admiring the applicant's courage.
• Expressing sympathy.
• Staring or avoiding eye contact.
• Assuming unusual sensitivity and avoiding essential questions.
• Automatically assuming help is needed.
• Focussing on the applican'ts disability rather than on their abilities. 

When interviewing a person using mobility aids:

• Ensure crutches, canes or wheelchairs are kept within reach of the interviewee.
• Be aware that some wheelchair users may prefer to transfer themselves into an office chair for the duration of the interview.
• When speaking to a person in a wheelchair or on crutches for more than a few moments, sit down so you are at that person's eye level.

When interviewing a person with vision impairment:

• Always identify yourself and introduce anyone else who may be present. If the person does not extend their hand to shake hands, verbally extend a welcome.
• When offering seating, place the person's hand on the back or arm of the chair and provide a verbal cue.
• Indicate in advance when you will be moving from one place to another, and let the interviewee know when the conversation is coming to an end. If interviewing in a group situation, provide vocal cues by announcing the name of the person you are talking to.

When interviewing a person with speech impairments:

• Give the interviewee your complete attention when talking to them.
• Ask short questions that require short answers or a nod of the head. Listen attentively. Keep your manner encouraging rather than correcting. Resist the temptation to speak for the person if they are having difficulty expressing what they want to say.
• Do not raise your voice. Most speech-impaired people can hear and understand.

When interviewing a person who is deaf or hearing impaired:

• If you need to attract their attention, touch the person lightly on the shoulder.
• If the interviewee lip-reads, look directly at them when you speak. Keep your hands away from your face. Speak clearly at a normal pace and do not exaggerate your lip movements or raise your voice. Don't rush or mumble, and make sure the interviewee can see your mouth.
• When communicating with a customer who has a hearing impairment, use your normal voice, just speak clearly, don't rush or mumble, and make sure that they can see your mouth.
• Do not raise your voice, as shouting distorts sounds received through hearing devices.
• Be prepared to use diagrams as visual aids to assist with understanding. If an interpreter is present, speak to the interviewee, not the interpreter and maintain eye contact with the interviewee. It is commonplace for the interpreter to sit beside the interviewer, across from the interviewee. Interpreters facilitate conversation and should not be consulted or regarded as a reference for the interviewee.

Arrangements

Scheduling the interview appointment

Time is a valuable commodity, and it is no different for a person with a disability. Prior to making the appointment for an interview, consider their needs ahead of time. Expect the same punctuality from people with a disability that is required for any potential employee.

When arranging a time for the interview, consider distance, weather conditions and physical obstacles that the interviewee may face on their way to you. Ensure that they are comfortable with, and knowledgeable about, how much time they will need to travel to the meeting place.

Be considerate of the extra travel time it may take for a person with a disability.

As people with a disability may use a variety of transport when travelling, be aware that an interviewee may be required to make a reservation in advance for someone to pick them up after the interview has concluded. Provide an accurate estimate of how long the interview will last.

When giving directions to a person with a visual disability, give very specific directions, like "turn left after 50 metres" or "turn right when you come out of the lift, it's about five metres to the office door."
Familiarise the interviewee in advance with the names of all people they will meet during their visit. "Our Receptionist's name is Jill Sweeney, she will meet you when you arrive. Gregory Smith, my associate, will also be present during the interview."

Location of the interview

Before scheduling an interview with a person with a disability, the interview site should be reviewed. Some important things to consider:

• Are there disabled parking spaces available or nearby?
• Is there ready access to public transport systems?
• Is there a ramp or step-free entrance?
• Are the toilets accessible?
• If the interview is not on the ground floor, is there an accessible lift?
• Is there a telephone that is easily accessible?
• Are your organisation's premises clearly identifiable from the outside?
• Will the layout of the interview room or office interfere in any way with the mobility of the person?

If any of the above is inadequate and alterations cannot be readily made to accommodate a person with a disability, inform the person of the barriers or obstacles and offer to make arrangements for an alternate interview site.