• Employers should interview people with disabilities the same way they would people without them.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. One of its main purposes was to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities. The ADA Amendments Act became law on January 1, 2009, and fundamentally broadened the definition of “disability” to encompass more individuals.

The law requires employers to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. To do so, employers must engage in an interactive process, which is a give-and-take discussion with individuals with disabilities to determine if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation. If accommodation is necessary, the parties involved should work together to find an acceptable solution. Employers must accommodate not only employees, but job applicants during the hiring process.

Discrimination may occur because interviewers make decisions based on stereotypes, misconceptions, or unfounded fears. Employers should remember that “disability” does not mean “inability,” and they should concentrate on what they can do, not on what they can’t.

In preparing to interview candidates with disabilities, employers should use a structured interview guide that is the same for every applicant and remember to:

• Focus on candidates, not their disabilities, if they have an obvious disability or reveal it during the interview;
  • Though, employers may ask them to describe how they would perform the job;
• Treat them with the same respect given to any candidate;
• Hold them to the same standards as all applicants;
• Ask only job-related questions regarding the job for which they are applying; and
• Concentrate on their technical and professional knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and interests.

Often, one of the biggest fears in interviewing people with disabilities is not knowing how to act during the interview. The best advice is to let them describe any assistance they may need. Employers should follow common courtesies and considerations, such as:

• Look directly at them even if there is an interpreter.
• Don’t automatically assume they need assistance.
  • Employers should be sure to ask first.
• Don’t express sympathy.
  • They don’t want pity. They want to highlight their relevant abilities.
• Don’t avoid questions asked of other applicants out of fear that they may be sensitive to it.
• Ask all questions in a direct manner, such as, “Can you lift 25 pounds?”

In most respects, interviewing people with disabilities is the same as interviewing people who are not disabled. Interviewers should ask job-related questions that focus on qualifications, experiences, and skills. Individuals with disabilities say they want to be treated as any other employee.