Last reviewed: 22 June 2022
- It is important to talk positively and openly about the importance of disability inclusion and diverse workforces.
- Encourage disabled people to apply and ask applicants and candidates if they need adjustments at every stage.
- Be aware of the law about what you can and can’t ask – generally, it is unlawful to ask any question about health and disability before making a job offer. See our resource ‘Can I ask candidates questions about disability?’ in this Toolkit for more information.
- If a candidate does offer information about a disability – for example to tell you that they have a disability – don’t ask them any follow-up questions, as this could be a breach of Section 60 of the Equality Act.
Inclusive language – Dos and don’ts
Dos
- Encourage disabled applicants to apply – An example statement is: “We recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and encourage disabled applicants to apply” or “Disabled people are under-represented in our workforce so we actively welcome applications from disabled candidates.” You could also include information about any ‘offer an interview’ scheme you run or badges showing your progress in the Disability Confident scheme.
- Focus on how you can make applicants and candidates feel welcomed – This doesn’t just apply to disabled candidates. You want to make everyone who applies for a job feel welcomed and support. Instead of focusing on a candidates disability, ask all candidates if there’s anything that could be done differently. For example, ask “What can we do to make this interview enjoyable for you?”
- Invite applicants to ask for adjustments to the recruitment process.
- Talk about ‘adjustments’ or ‘changes’ rather than ‘reasonable adjustments’ – This is because ‘reasonable’ is the legal minimum, and you want to reassure applicants that you are prepared to make any possible adjustments or changes that will help them to both enjoy the interview and demonstrate their knowledge and skills for the role.
- Use positive body language if the person can see you and you can see them, Make regular eye contact, if you can and show that you are listening, for example by nodding. Use open body language, for example by leaning forward and not crossing your arms.
- Make noises that indicate that you are listening – For example saying “uh huh” or “yes” from time to time and by repeating back what the person has said “you said during your time in Edinburgh you were working on x.”
Don’ts
- Ask applicants to ‘request’ adjustments – This can sound overly formal and bureaucratic. As an alternative, you could include a statement such as: “Let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, in particular if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply.”
For more information about inclusive language, see our resource ‘Inclusive language – Dos and don’ts’ in our Inclusive Communication Toolkit.
The law
What you can and cannot say and ask applicants and candidates about health and disability is governed in the UK by the Equality Act 2010.
Generally, it is unlawful to ask questions about health and disability before you have made a job offer. There are some exceptions to this – see our resource ‘Can I ask candidates questions about disability?’ in this Toolkit.
It is better to err on the side of caution – speak about disability generally, but don’t ask candidates questions about their health or disability, even if candidates volunteer this information unprompted.
You can ask applicants if they identify as disabled for data monitoring purposes, as long as this information is kept separate from the rest of their application. For more information, see our resource ‘Data monitoring and disability’ in this Toolkit.
Read next
- Asking about adjustments – Language
- Can I ask candidates questions about disability
- Being a disability confident employer
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