U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Job Interviews

Interviewing people with disabilities is generally the same as interviewing people without disabilities. The focus of the interview should be on the applicants’ qualifications and on how they can perform the essential functions of the job. Applicants should state any accommodation needed for the interview when the interview is scheduled.

An interviewer is prohibited from asking applicants questions about their disabilities that are not relevant to the applicants functioning on the job. During a job interview, applicants should present their qualifications in a positive manner, emphasizing the applicants’ abilities and assets. However applicants with disabilities might anticipate and address some of the questions that an interviewer may be reluctant to ask. When the job interview is scheduled, applicants should state any accommodation needed for the interview.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued comprehensive guidance concerning questions about an applicant’s disability that can be asked of applicants before and after a tentative job offer. This guidance also includes the confidentiality of medical information. This guidance is entitled, Enforcement Guidance: Pre-employment Disability-Related Questions and Medical Examinations (10/10/95). An agency must wait until after making a conditional offer of employment before conducting a medical examination of a job applicant.

For more information on interviewing for jobs, refer to a website developed by Mainstream, Inc. Click on "Tools You Can Use" and then click on "Especially for Job Seekers with Disabilities."

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