Disability inclusion in the workplace is gaining momentum, and for good reason: inclusive teams are stronger, more creative, and better at solving problems. But even when organizations are committed to diversity, one key moment often gets overlooked: the interview.
Interviews are more than a step in the hiring process. They are where candidates form their first real impression of your culture, and where employers decide whether they are evaluating talent or accidentally filtering it out. The great news? Making interviews more inclusive does not require huge systems or complicated processes. It is about being intentional, prepared, and focused on what matters most: skill, potential, and respect.
being participants to becoming coresearchers, the entire research process becomes more grounded, ethical, and transformative.
This article explores what it takes to meaningfully engage youth with disabilities as coresearchers, and how we can design inclusive, empowering research environments that support their leadership from start to finish.
Start With Mindset: Assume Capability
The foundation of an inclusive interview is simple: see capability first.
When employers drop assumptions and approach every candidate with openness, they create space for strengths to shine. Persons with disabilities often bring creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills shaped by navigating environments not originally designed for them. But those strengths only emerge if interviewers create a setting where candidates feel respected and seen. But those strengths only emerge if interviewers create a setting where candidates feel respected and seen.
A little mindset shift goes a long way.
Prepare With Inclusion in Mind
Most of the work of inclusion happens before the interview starts.
That means:
- Giving candidates clear information on what to expect
- Asking candidates about their accommodation needs as you send out the invite and offering them upfront, not after barriers appear
- Ensuring rooms, materials, and platforms are accessible
- Sending questions or themes ahead of time when possible
- Briefing the panel to align on respectful communication
- Sticking to structured, competency-based interview questions
Good preparation is not extra work: it is good hiring practice. It helps candidates bring their best and helps you get the clearest picture of their abilities.
During the Interview: Create Space, Not Pressure
Once the conversation starts, the goal is simple: help candidates show what they can do.
That looks like:
- Opening with a warm, predictable structure
- Speaking directly to the candidate (not to an interpreter or support person)
- Allowing pauses and processing time without rushing
- Using clear language instead of jargon
- Being flexible in how candidates demonstrate their skills (e.g. Giving a candidate a practical task to do, or allowing the candidate to answer interview questions in writing)
- Keeping questions job focused and never personal or intrusive focused and never personal or intrusive
These small behaviors create safety and remove performance pressure. And when people feel safe, you get a much better sense of how they think, collaborate, and problems solve: which is what interviews are for in the first place.
After the Interview: Evaluate What Matters
An inclusive interview ends with a fair, thoughtful evaluation.
A few simple habits make a big difference:
- Score independently before discussing as a group
- Focus on competencies, not style or social cues
- Treat assistive tools as neutral; they do not give an advantage
- Give timely, respectful communication
- Reflect on what worked and what could be improved next time
Fairness does not happen automatically, but it does happen consistently when we build it into our process.
Want the full toolset? Download the Complete How-to Guide
This article gives you the highlights, but if you want the full set of tools; checklists, templates, scripts, and step-by-step guidance, the full How-to Guide on Conducting Inclusive Job Interviews is available as a downloadable resource right here on the We Can Work Platform. It is designed to help you build a complete, practical, inclusive hiring flow from start to finish.
