Disability Confident Level 1 – Commitments

Disability Confident Level 1 – Commitments  

Introduction

To successfully complete Level 1 you need to commit to delivering five key commitments. 

While you do not need to provide evidence of these commitments at Level 1, we recommend gathering evidence at this stage to make progressing to Level 2 easier. 

This resource outlines the required criteria to successfully complete Level 1. For each commitment, we have added some explanations and examples of evidence you may find helpful. 

Disability Confident Level 1 – Evidence

Although you do not need ‘evidence’ to start Level I, you may need it for internal progress reporting. It is also sensible to collate and record it as you work towards Level 2.  

Watch our video below on collating and recording evidence for the Disability Confident scheme. 

A note on language: Minimum, desirable and essential requirements

The Disability Confident guidance refers to ‘minimum’ requirements when posting a job. This is often referred to as ‘essential criteria’ elsewhere, including our BDF resources.  

‘Essential’ or ‘minimum’ criteria are the parts of the job that are ‘integral’ and cannot reasonably be changed. For example, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver role requires drivers to meet strict medical criteria set by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). If an applicant does not pass this (and is unlikely to longer term), they do not meet the essential (or minimum) criterion of being able to drive an HGV.  

‘Desirable’ refers to skills and experience that the employer would like an employee to have, but are not integral to performing the job. They have more flexibility in how they are accommodated. For example, the need to drive to visit clients. A disabled person who cannot drive due to their disability can still work with clients but may need to go by taxi, or public transport instead, or work with them online. 

‘Desirable skill’ is often mistakenly used interchangeably with ‘essential’ and ‘minimum’ requirements. We recommend employers are clear about the difference between criteria that are integral to the role and cannot be changed, and which criteria are desirable but could reasonably done differently. 

Our resource on ‘Essential and desirable criteria’ has more guidance on creating job descriptions. 

1. Ensure your recruitment process is inclusive and accessible

Disabled people can be excluded at all stages of the recruitment processes. Examples of recruitment practices that can exclude disabled people include:

• poorly written job descriptions – the description does not identify essential criteria, or does not consider adjustments, 

• application formats – for example, if it is incompatible with screen readers, or the applicant needs to complete entire sections before being able to move onto next page. Some sifting criteria can automatically exclude disabled people, for example if people with career gaps are automatically excluded during a sift, 

• a lack of disability awareness by the people managing recruitment. 

Suggestions

• Check your job descriptions and be clear about what is essential for the job and what is desirable. 

• Train HR and managers so they can write inclusive job descriptions. You may need another system of checks in place until this is complete. 

• Encourage disabled people to contact you if they need a different way to apply for a job. Alternatives include accepting video applications or PowerPoint presentations, accepting a CV and covering letter instead of a standardised form, and providing forms in alternative formats. See our resource on ‘Standardised application forms – Inclusive design and adjustments’ for more information. 

• Add space on your applications forms for additional notes. For example, an applicant may want to explain a career gap related to their disability or how their education suffered due to undiagnosed conditions – and how they are now succeeding in the workplace.  

• Check your shortlisting process to ensure it does not discriminate against disabled applicants. For example, manually reviewing any applications from people who have advised they have a disability. 

• If using external agencies or automated systems, processes should be in place to ensure that disabled people are not discriminated against. 

• Provide written guidance and checklists to help anyone involved in the recruitment process, and to help with standardisation throughout the organisation. 

Our Recruitment Toolkit has more advice on job descriptions and inclusive job design. 

2. Communicate and promote vacancies

Advertising vacancies directly through agencies and disability focused job can help you reach a wider audience. Some disabled people rely on these sites to help them find potential jobs.  

Suggestions

• Look at the audiences you reach with your current job advertising practices. Do you actively include disability agencies? If not, research and add some to your ‘must include’ list and your recruitment process. 

• Advertise that you welcome applications from disabled people. When you have completed Level 1, you can use the Disability Confident badge and highlight what this means for disabled applicants. 

Our resource on ‘Attracting disabled applicants’ has more information. 

3. Offer an interview to disabled people

Disabled people who meet the minimum or essential criteria of the role can often be overlooked in the recruitment processes. Disability Confident asks employers to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. 

By offering them an interview, you may find the perfect employee who would otherwise have been missed. 

The aim is to encourage positive action, encouraging disabled people to apply for jobs by assuring them that, if they meet the minimum criteria, they will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities at the interview stage. 

Suggestions

We provide detailed guidance on the commitment to ‘offer an interview’ in the following resources: 

• Offer an interview schemes, 

• Podcast – Positive and proactive recruitment with Bela Gor and Catherine Casserley, 

4. Anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as required

Disabled candidates may need adjustments for interviews such as: 

• a specific interview time to allow their medication to take full effect, 

• time allowances for travel, especially if they need to use public transport, 

• parking space near the door of the building, 

• providing interview questions in advance, 

• adjustments to the interview room to reduce barriers related to mobility, or hearing or sight loss. 

Suggestions

• Ask all applicants if they need any adjustments and advise how they can ask for them. 

• Send details of the application and interview processes in advance to all applicants. This includes travel options, format of interview and any specific safety advice if required. This is to enable a disabled person to assess if they need any adjustments and give them time to request them. 

• Look at other ways to assess a candidate. Traditional interviews and standardised testing are not always the best ways to do this. What other methods can you offer? Our resource on Alternatives to assessments and interviews outlines different ways of assessing candidates’ suitability for a role.  

• Have guidance available to help managers and HR so adjustments can be anticipated and provided in a timely manner. For example, have a list of common adjustments and how to access them quickly as part of the information pack for managers and HR. 

Our Recruitment Toolkit contains guidance on providing adjustments at all stages of the recruitment process. 

5. Support any existing employee who acquires a disability or long-term condition, enabling them to stay in work

According to UK government statistics, the number of disabled people between the ages of 16-64 continues to grow. With appropriate support and reasonable adjustments, most people will be able to remain in post and thrive in their role. 

The cost of replacing a valued employee who left because of a failure to make adjustments is often higher than the cost of making adjustments. In addition, losing someone’s knowledge, skills and experience can be a significant hidden cost to an organisation. 

Suggestions

• Carry out workplace assessments if required to see what support the employee may need. Encourage and support employees to contact Access to Work and obtain workplace assessments where needed. 

• Provide flexibility and time allowances (that are not penalised) to attend appointments and treatment related to their disability or long-term condition. Where a possible disability is suspected, this includes time off for tests, diagnoses, and graded return to work programmes. 

• Allow for flexible working – for example, different working hours or days, and working from home when required 

• Provide and support assistive technology – enable the use of any software, hardware and equipment that may help a person perform their job, with additional time for training and familiarisation. 

• Conduct regular reviews to check that support measures are working and appropriate. 

• Provide information on how to access to any Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that the organisation provides. 

• Provide time allowances for the person to adjust psychologically and physically to their disability.

• Provide time to experiment and learn new strategies and new equipment, software or hardware.