FAQs

How do I interact with a person with a disability, in an interview situation, and what if I say the wrong thing?

One of the biggest fears expressed by people is what do I do when I meet and interview someone with a disability.

What is the proper etiquette?
What do I say?
Do I offer my hand?
Do I move furniture?
What if I make a mistake or say something stupid?

All of these are normal feelings when you first meet someone with a disability. However, the more contact you have with people with disabilities and the more interviews you conduct, the more comfortable you will become in dealing with people with disabilities.

There are certain etiquette tips that can be provided to you and other businesses as well as training opportunities for interviewing applicants with disabilities.

If you make a mistake, just shake it off and move on. We are all humans and make mistakes. The applicant with a disability will understand.

The employee or intern with a disability is always your best resource when it comes to determining appropriate workplace accommodations. He/she knows what will be needed to succeed on the job. Chances are, he/she will also know potential vendors if equipment needs to be purchased.

The employee or intern is responsible for providing personal accommodations such as hearing aids, wheelchairs, and personal attendants.

In most cases, it is the employer's responsibility to provide on-site job accommodations for an employee. It is sometimes possible, however, for the employer to receive tax credits and incentives for doing so.

Studies have shown that more than half of the accommodations cost less than $500 and over 80% cost less than $1,000. Approximately 20% cost nothing at all.

In addition there are resources available to help with some of the accommodations as well as several tax credits that will assist the removal of architectural barriers to your workplace.

Yes. This includes:

1. shifting responsibility to other employees for minor job tasks that an employee is unable to perform because of a disability; and
   
   
2. altering when and/or how a job task is performed.

If an employee is unable to perform a minor job task because of a disability, an employer can require the employee to perform a different minor job function in its place.

A modified or part time schedule is also a reasonable accomodation.
A modified schedule may involve adjusting arrival or departure times, providing periodic breaks, altering when certain job tasks are performed, allowing an employee to use accrued paid leave, or providing additional unpaid leave.