Graphic representation of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services & Technology for the blog news
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Guides

In observance of Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) you may be wondering what you should do in regards to hiring a person with a disability. The first thing to consider is the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). There are a few rules you must follow and FAAST has curated a list of Dos and Don’ts for employers looking to hire people with disabilities.

 

Don’ts

  • Do not focus on the disability
  • Do Not ask unnecessary medical questions or require unnecessary medical exams or documentation.
  • Do Not base your hiring decision on myths, stereotypes, or fears about people with disabilities.

Dos

  • Focus on the person’s qualifications
  • Get the information necessary to find out if they are qualified
  • Base your hiring decision on skills, qualifications, and experience

What if the person has an obvious disability?

  • Is there reasonable belief that the disability with interfere with the applicants job duties?
  • If no, Look at their qualifications and abilities.
  • If Yes, ask them how they will perform those duties and what accommodation they will need.

Another great question to ask an applicant is:

 

“Is there anything that you will need to participate in the interview or to perform the job tasks?”

 

These questions allow the applicant the chance to disclose their disability if they want and to request accommodation.

 

Accommodations could include:

  • Oral, rather than written questions, tests, etc
  • Communication devices to better facilitate a conversation, including sign language interpreters.
  • Sound amplifiers
  • Magnifiers
  • Relocation of the interview site to be more accessible.

Of course, if an applicant requests an accommodation and you want to borrow something to use during the interview, Reach out to us at faast.org or  Toll Free 1-844-353-2278 (1-844 FL-FAAST). We will gladly loan you whichever piece of Assistive Technology you might need.

 

And for more Job-related information about disabilities, go to askjan.org

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