Recruitment and disabled people

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1. Job specifications

The job specification (or ‘person requirements’) of a vacancy must not exclude disabled people from applying for a job.

However, some jobs may have an essential requirement that cannot be met with a reasonable adjustment.

Examples

A vacancy for a van driver says the person must be able to drive. This might exclude some disabled people, but it is an essential part of the job.

A company advertises a job with occasional travel necessary. The person could go by train so the company should not say that the person needs a driving licence.

If you reject a disabled candidate, it must be based on their performance at interview rather than having to make reasonable adjustments.

2. Encouraging applications

Your local Jobcentre Plus can help with:

  • making sure your application process is accessible
  • advising you about recruitment practices that open up jobs to disabled people
  • information about making reasonable adjustments that can help someone start or keep their job

Contact Employer Services, who will connect you to an employer adviser at your local Jobcentre Plus.

Employer Services
Online contact form
Telephone: 0800 169 0178
Textphone: 0800 169 0172
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Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
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Apply for the disability confident scheme

Sign up as a disability confident committed employer. When you’ve done this you can use the disability confident badge on adverts to show you encourage applications from disabled people.

Alternative formats

You must provide information about the vacancy in alternative formats (for example, large print) on request if this is reasonable. You must also accept applications in alternative formats (for example, electronically) where possible.

3. Reasonable adjustments

You can ask if a candidate needs an adjustment to the recruitment process to allow them to be considered for the job, or you can wait to be told.

You must make adjustments if they’re reasonable, for example allowing:

  • wheelchair users to have their interview on the ground floor
  • candidates to complete a written test using a computer

After you’ve made a job offer, you can ask what adjustments they’ll need to do the job.

You can get help paying for extra support in the workplace through an Access to Work grant but you cannot use the money for reasonable adjustments.