Disability Community Outreach

Employment Checklist

For Hiring People with disabilities

Do

• Learn where to find & recruit job candidates with disabilities

• Learn how to communicate with people who have a disability

• Ensure that your applications and forms do not ask disability related questions

• Ensure applications and forms are in accessible formats to all persons

• Have job descriptions that accurate describe the essential functions of the job

• Ensure requirements for medical exams comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Relax and make sure applicants are comfortable

• Provide reasonable accommodations as needed

• Treat the candidate with dignity and respect

• Familiarize staff on the different disability characteristics and accommodations

• If unsure regarding how to best accommodate a job candidate, ask the person for advice

• Only hire people with disabilities who are capable of performing the essential job functions

Don't

• Assume that people with disabilities are unemployable

• Assume that people with disabilities lack the necessary education/training for employment

• Assume that people with disabilities don't want to work

• Assume that certain jobs are more suited to people with disabilities

• Don't hire a person with disabilities unless they can do the job safely and effectively

• Assume reasonable accommodations are costly

• Assume that work area will be unsafe if employee has a disability

• Assume that insurance cost will go up by hiring people with disabilities

• Assume you need special training to work with people with disabilities

• Speculate about how you would perform a job if you had the applicant's disability

• Assume that you don't have any jobs that a person with disabilities can do

Employment Checklist developed by the Office of Disability Employment Policy - U.S. Department of Labor (Aug/02)