Is your organisation attracting and including everyone it can? Good access isn't just about ramps and lifts.

Making your organisation accessible for disabled employees, or potential employees, is not just about making physical adjustments.

Barriers for disabled people may occur around:

• The physical environment
  E.g. steps, doorways - width, weight, reflection in or visibility through glass, lack of tactile surfaces, handrails, poor lighting, heights of counters, notice boards, information racks, lack of accessible toilets etc.
  
  
• Information
  E.g. written or equivalent, including computer based information - failure to provide information in a range of accessible formats for people with visual impairments, learning difficulties, failure to put information in places used by disabled people etc.
  
  
• Communication
  E.g. face to face, phone and via systems such as public address systems - barriers created by failure to provide alternatives to telephones, provision of only visual or audible information, lack of sign language interpreters etc.
  
  
• Policies, procedures and practices
  E.g. 'organisational' barriers, systems, rules, regulations or ways of providing services that disadvantage disabled customers, e.g. "no dogs" policies would be a barrier for blind people using a guide dog.
  
  
• Attitudes
  E.g. staff attitudes towards disabled customers, assumptions, stereotypes, prejudice etc (some of which may be unwitting and some blatant).

Developing an Accessible Recruitment Process

Preparation

• Make sure you know the basics of the Disability Discrimination Act.
  
  
• Undertake basic Disability Awareness Training with staff involved in the interviewing process and also with your front-line staff such as receptionists or administrators.
  
  
• Check the accessibility of your premises.
  
  
• Make use of DIY assessment tools such as Intowork's Disability Status Review document.
  
  
• Contact a Disability Employment Advisor at your local Jobcentre Plus. As well as offering help and support, they may be able to provide a grant towards any extra employment costs that result from a person's disability through the Access to Work Scheme.
  
  
• Demonstrate your commitment by adopting the Disability Symbol. Jobcentre Plus awards this to employers who have agreed to meet five commitments regarding the recruitment, employment, retention and career development of disabled people. By using the symbol you will help make it clear to disabled people that you welcome applications from them and are positive about their abilities.

Advertising

Job adverts and specifications should be drafted to ensure that they do not unnecessarily exclude people with disabilities.

Publicise clearly that you welcome applications from people with disabilities.

Use the Disability Symbol on all of your publicity materials.

Make use of Intowork's Vacancy Link service. This is a free service for employers that will circulate your vacancies to over 40 local agencies who support people with disabilities into employment. vlink@intowork.org.uk

back to top

Application Form

If sending out literature, think about the way in which it is presented. For example the RNIB recommend using a font such as Arial with a minimum size of 12pt (but preferably 14pt).

State that you are willing to provide information in alternative formats on request. As a rule, ensure that you have plain text, electronic versions of your information so that this can be put on disk or emailed to people as soon as they ask for it. Other alternative formats may include using different coloured backgrounds, using large font, increasing the spacing, creating documents in Braille format or providing audio versions of your information.

In job descriptions be careful with what you state as 'essential' and 'desirable' criteria. Not all essential requirements are really essential.

Provide information in 'Plain English' and avoid jargon.

If you have a guaranteed interview scheme for people with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for a job state this in your advert and in the application pack. Rather than asking someone if they have a disability ask if they would like to be considered under this scheme.


Interviews

Current recruitment and selection policy places requirement on recruiters and selection panels to apply merit and equity to selection activities.

Ask applicants, when called for interview, if they have a disability that will require assistance to enable them to participate in the interview. People are individuals and have individual requirements.

Applicants with disabilities should be given the opportunity to provide information on their needs at the interview and account should be taken of any special arrangements that may be necessary.

If an interviewee is required to take a competency test make sure that this is communicated in your invitation to the interview and state that you are prepared to make adjustments to this process if it is not suitable for the individual. Remember you are trying to test what a person CAN do and not what they CAN'T.

back to top

back to top

Norton Park, 57 Albion Road, Edinburgh, EH7 5QY, Scotland
Tel. 0131 475 2369
Fax 0131 475 2379
Contact: enquiries@intowork.org.uk

Intowork is a company Limited by Guarantee (Registered in Scotland No. SC181737), and is a recognised Scottish Charity (Scottish Charity No. SC028327)