Interviewing a person with a disability is no different from interviewing anyone else, it requires professionalism and respect. However, it’s understandable for interviewers to feel uneasy in an unfamiliar situation: Is there anything I should or shouldn’t say? What do I do if we have trouble communicating?

Those are natural questions anyone might have. However, when it comes to interviewing candidates with disabilities, it’s essential to know exactly how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Here are a few things employers cannot do:

• Ask applicants questions regarding a disability before making a job offer or during the interview.
• Use language that implies a person’s ability is limited due to their disability.
• Inquire about sick days.

So, what can hiring managers do? To evaluate a candidate’s qualifications, they may ask questions about how an applicant will perform job-related tasks. 

Hiring managers in your organization could be demonstrating a bias against candidates with disabilities and violating ADA guidelines without even realizing it. The iDisability® module “Interviewing Individuals with Disabilities” will help your interviewers promote inclusion and remain in compliance. What’s more, our collection of close to 40 e-learning modules will give your entire organization the skills to effectively communicate with, interview, hire, accommodate, and engage people with disabilities in the workplace. 

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