According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/odep/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Labor&rsquo;s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)</a>, 20.7 percent of working-age people with disabilities in the U.S. have jobs, compared to 68.3 percent of working-age people without disabilities. While research continues to prove disability-inclusive hiring provides significant benefits for employers, when it comes recruiting employees with disabilities, many employers don&rsquo;t know where to begin.
From overall branding to interview processes, incorporating appropriate recruitment strategies can make all the difference to attract job seekers with disabilities.
Here are some innovative recruitment strategies to help you hire people with disabilities:
1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Incorporate inclusive employer branding&nbsp;&ndash; As an employer, having a good reputation is not only important to attract customers, but also to attract job seekers and retain employees. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5057002/GettingHired_November2019/Pdfs/ultimate-list-of-employer-brand-stats.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, 75 percent of job seekers research a company&rsquo;s reputation and employer brand before applying. Employers seeking to hire people with disabilities should ensure their messaging conveys their inclusiveness. This means providing visual representations of people with disabilities and written language indicating they are a disability-inclusive employer on all recruitment materials. Employers should also avoid listing job requirements that aren&rsquo;t truly necessary. Language such as, &ldquo;must be able to lift 30 pounds,&rdquo; can deter people from applying who would otherwise be well-qualified for the position.
2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pursue passive candidates through social media &ndash;&nbsp;It&rsquo;s estimated that 75 percent of people who aren&rsquo;t looking for a new job would consider an offer if it&rsquo;s presented to them. A passive candidate is a potential job applicant who is not actively seeking a new job but is open to switching jobs if an opportunity is presented. Social media recruiting is a great way to seek out passive talent, as most job candidates will have social media accounts. Employers can use social media networks to search for candidates, reach out to them and build relationships, and encourage them to apply for vacant job positions. Many employers also focus on enhancing their overall social media presence to improve engagement and reach more job candidates. When seeking to hire people with disabilities, employers can focus on participating in Twitter chats and engaging with disability organizations via their social media handles.
3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recruit remotely &ndash;&nbsp;From mobile-friendly applications, to video and text interviewing, innovations in technology make it easier for employers to connect with job seekers. For some candidates with disabilities, using strategies like&nbsp;<a href="https://searchhrsoftware.techtarget.com/definition/video-interview" rel="noopener" target="_blank">video interviewing</a>&nbsp;can be helpful, as this allows them to interview in locations most accessible for their needs and saves on travel time. Additionally, providing options such as texting to schedule and confirm interviews or engage with applicants can be helpful for those who have speech or communication needs that make communicating via text most accessible. In general, to ensure accessibility for all job seekers, employers should provide multiple ways for job seekers to communicate with recruiters.
4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Host inclusive hiring events &ndash;&nbsp;Many disability inclusive employers proactively seek out job candidates with disabilities by hosting or participating in inclusive hiring events or job fairs. Employers like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/cross-disability/hiring.aspx?irgwc=1&amp;OCID=AID681541_aff_7593_1375745&amp;tduid=(ir__tj6i2tuabokfr3xr0kbg2zzd122xmvl201wluen100)(7593)(1375745)()()&amp;irclickid=_tj6i2tuabokfr3xr0kbg2zzd122xmvl201wluen100" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Microsoft</a>&nbsp;host inclusive job fairs that provide opportunities for job seekers with disabilities to meet local and national recruiters, learn about job opportunities in a variety of fields, and gain information to help them get a job (i.e. resume writing skills). Other employers choose to participate in inclusive hiring events hosted by disability-focused organizations. For example, Getting Hired hosts multiple Online Career Expos throughout the year to connect job seekers with disabilities to employer partners. These provide a unique and fully accessible opportunity to talk one-on-one with recruiters and hiring managers in real-time.&nbsp;&nbsp;
5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Connect with local disability organizations and university disability offices &ndash;&nbsp;Employers who want to recruit more employees with disabilities should reach out to those with direct connections to people with disabilities. This includes local disability organizations and university disability services offices. Often these organizations not only provide employers access to strong candidate pools, but also can serve as resources for disability-focused employer trainings.
6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Highlight accessible features of the job location/position &ndash;&nbsp;Today&rsquo;s job seekers aren&rsquo;t just looking for jobs with desirable salaries and perfect job duties. They also want to know other benefits an employer can offer, such as proximity to public transportation or open office floor plans. Job seekers with disabilities are often drawn to employers who offer flexible work hours or telework options, provide both open office and quiet spaces for working, along with other inclusive office features.
7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Educate ALL staff&nbsp;&ndash; Goals for disability inclusive hiring should not begin and end within an employer&rsquo;s HR department. Truly inclusive hiring means educating everyone within an organization, including executives, managers, and other employees that will interact with co-workers with disabilities. Trainings should not only address topics such as disability etiquette, but should also provide information on reasonable accommodations to help avoid negative bias about the needs of employees with disabilities.
8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Implement inclusive interview practices&nbsp;&ndash; It&rsquo;s important for employers to ensure every aspect of the hiring process is inclusive of people with disabilities. This includes informing applicants that accommodations for interviews can be provided upon request. Employers should also check for proper physical access to interview locations and address any other needs specified by the applicant. Many employers also participate in disability etiquette trainings to learn general protocol for communicating and interacting with people with various forms of disabilities in interview settings.
To find out more about how to recruit job seekers with disabilities,&nbsp;contact the CareerCircle team at gettinghired@careercircle.com.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

Boost disability-inclusive hiring with these 8 innovative recruitment strategies. Attract and retain top talent now!

8 Innovative Recruitment Strategies to Hire People with Disabilities

The&nbsp;Assistive Technology Act of 2004&nbsp;defines assistive technology (AT) as &ldquo;any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.&rdquo; Ultimately, AT can bridge the gaps between people&rsquo;s abilities and their job requirements.
Assistive technology can take on many forms, including low-tech devices such as canes and lever doorknobs, or high-tech devices, such hearing aids or motorized wheelchairs. Additionally, computer hardware and software, such as alternative keyboards, screen readers and voice recognition software, serve as forms of AT.
In many cases, while a device may not be considered AT by the mainstream public, it can often be considered so by people with disabilities. For a person with limited mobility, a simple back scratcher can become a reacher/grabber. For a person who is blind or low-vision, a cell phone loaded with appropriate apps can provide access to email, social media, transportation, public venues, and so much more.
<h2>Which AT solutions are designed for specific disabilities?</h2>
AT is not prescriptive, meaning not every tool will work for every person with the same disability. It is less about accommodating a specific disability, but more about accommodating the specific functional needs of a person with a disability. In many cases, one form of AT can accommodate many forms of disability. For example, voice recognition software can be a significant help for people with limited hand use, but can also be just as helpful for people who are blind/low-vision.
<h2>Is AT the same as an accommodation?</h2>
While AT can serve as a form of accommodation, it is not the same. Some accommodations, such as alternative work schedules, telecommuting, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/personalassistanceservices.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">personal assistance services (PAS)</a>&nbsp;are examples of non-AT accommodations.
<h2>How do I find the right AT for my needs?</h2>
Finding the best AT can often be a process of trial-and-error. If you&rsquo;re seeking AT to assist you at work, the first step is to let your employer know about your disability (if you haven&rsquo;t already done so) and that you need AT to effectively do your job.
If you or your employer don&rsquo;t already have an idea about the best AT to meet your needs, it&rsquo;s best to connect to professionals that are either familiar with specific forms of AT or that are trained to match AT to specific needs. This can often include doctors, occupational therapists, rehabilitation professionals, speech-language pathologists, and other AT specialists. Additionally, many states and universities house AT lending libraries, which allow people to try out and borrow devices for various periods of time in order to determine its compatibility for specific needs.
After doing research or consulting with a professional, here are a few questions you can ask to determine whether a specific AT tool will meet your needs, either at work or elsewhere:
<ul>
<li>Does the tool address your specific needs and challenges?</li>
<li>Does it maximize your strengths?</li>
<li>Is there a simpler tool that would work as effectively?</li>
<li>Will it be easy to incorporate into your work?</li>
<li>How easy is it to learn to use the tool?</li>
<li>Will you receive support or training on how to use it?</li>
<li>Is the tool compatible with the existing technology you use? (For example, will it work on your existing computer or mobile device?)</li>
<li>How reliable is the device?</li>
<li>What technical support is available?</li>
</ul>
The above list was modified from Understood.org,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/finding-an-assistive-technology/checklist-what-to-consider-when-looking-at-assistive-technology" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Checklist: What to Consider When Looking at Assistive Technology</a>.
<h2>Who pays for AT in the workplace?</h2>
If you identify as a person with a disability, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), AT can serve as a reasonable accommodation that your employer can provide to help you perform the essential functions of your job.
If tasks are non-essential functions to do your job, your employer does not have to provide AT. Keep in mind that your employer doesn&rsquo;t have to purchase the latest or most expensive version of a specific device or AT.&nbsp;Additionally, if they find another way to meet your needs without purchasing AT, they can do so.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://askjan.org/index.cfm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Job Accommodation Network (JAN)</a>&nbsp;provides worksite accommodations solutions, among other services to increase employability of people with disabilities, and has proven that most accommodations cost less than $500. Ultimately, your employer cannot simply say they will do nothing because they can&rsquo;t afford to, unless they have explored all alternatives and can justify that the cost of the AT would cause undue hardship. When all options are eliminated, the next step would be to explore funding the AT yourself.
To learn more about AT funding sources, check out the Assistive Technology Industry Association&rsquo;s (ATIA)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atia.org/at-resources/what-is-at/resources-funding-guide/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Funding Resource Guide</a>.
<h2>Where do I go to learn more?</h2>
Assistive technology continues to increase access to employment for people with disabilities. However, it&rsquo;s important to consider individual needs to determine which AT tools will be best to ensure long-term success. To learn more about assistive technology in the workplace,&nbsp;contact the CareerCircle team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.

Assistive tech empowers people with disabilities by bridging gaps between abilities and job demands.

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology bridges gaps between abilities and job requirements, enhancing functional capabilities for individuals with disabilities.

There&rsquo;s nothing worse than sending a bad first impression when you&rsquo;re trying to interview for a job, they tend to stick with you given the brain's tendency towards holding onto negative memories. They can be discouraging and frustrating but there are some ways you can look to recover.
&nbsp;
<h2>Take a Breath and Start Again</h2>
The first thing to do if you notice you are rambling and giving off nervous energy is to stop, take a breath, and try to ground yourself before you continue. &ldquo;If you can take a moment, breathe and recover it comes across to the interviewer as a good way to show you are aware of potential negative aspects and working to positively address them,&rdquo; mentions career blogger Theresa J. Kyzer from <a href="https://writemyx.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Write My X</a> and <a href="https://1day2write.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">1day2write</a>.
&nbsp;
The fact you are taking a moment to recover should allow you to improve the rest of the interview in a more confident and controlled manner. Interviewers understand that those situations can be stressful and will likely give you a bit of leeway especially if you show a desire to try and improve yourself.
&nbsp;
<h2>Move on From a Bad Question</h2>
If you&rsquo;ve been answering a question in a ramble without really providing an answer and feel things have gone badly you should try not to focus on it for the rest of the interview. It&rsquo;s easier said than done but if you can remove focus from that question and instead make sure you focus on your skillsets and unique talents that you wish to push going forward. If you hyper-fixate on a bad question, you can end up flailing for the rest of the interview as you panic internally and don&rsquo;t focus on the best ways to answer other questions.
&nbsp;
<h2>Ask the Interviewer a Question</h2>
&ldquo;Even if the interview is going well this is a great way to show interest in the company and shows you care about the job,&rdquo; observes Sandra Hamilton a business writer from <a href="https://originwritings.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Originwritings</a> and <a href="https://britstudent.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Britstudent</a>. Ask the interviewer their views on the company and its culture. Find out what the interviewer sees as the biggest challenge for the person in that role. Find out what the day-to-day job will look like in more detail using the job description from the application. These provide you a way to learn about the job in more detail and the company itself and give interviewers confidence that you actually do want this job. It&rsquo;s also a great way to decide whether or not you want to work for that company or not based on whether the answer fits your personality.
&nbsp;
<h2>Let the Employer Know of Outside Influences</h2>
Don&rsquo;t make excuses or point the finger but it is important to let employers know of things that may influence the interview ahead of time if you can. If you&rsquo;re running late due to public transport call to let the interviewer know. If you have had a serious life event that has distracted you it is absolutely ok to let the employer know about it to explain.
&nbsp;
<h2>Thank the Interviewer </h2>
At the end of the interview thank them for their time and for considering you for this position. It can be a great way to show humility and grace even if things have not been going your way.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<h2>Review the Situation</h2>
You likely think the interview went worse than it did so it&rsquo;s important once you&rsquo;ve left the interview to reflect and learn. Reflect on what went well and where you could improve. Don&rsquo;t just focus on the negatives.
&nbsp;
<h2>Follow Up and Put References on Alert</h2>
Follow up the interview with a further thank you note to the company further expanding on questions you feel you didn&rsquo;t adequately answer. Highlight the skills you wish to push forward and add things you forgot to mention in the interview that makes you stand out. This is where you can also put details of any serious life events that distracted you if you weren&rsquo;t able to say anything before the interview.
&nbsp;
Let your references know they might get a call about the interview and highlight any areas you want to push forward that you feel you didn&rsquo;t make clear in the interview.
&nbsp;
<h2>Wrapping Up</h2>
At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re all human and employers know things aren&rsquo;t always going to go smoothly. Follow the tips mentioned here and most importantly learn from the experience and look to forgive yourself so it doesn&rsquo;t remain a negative experience that affects you.
 To learn more about CareerCircle, our mission, and to find your next job opportunity go to <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/candidates">https://www.careercircle.com/candidates</a>.
 Content Contributor: During a decade of marriage, George J. Newton, business development manager at <a href="https://academicbrits.com/write-my-assignment" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Write My Assignment</a> and <a href="https://phdkingdom.com/dissertation-writing-service" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dissertation Writing Service</a>, has been working on perfecting the art of the apology. When he gets a spare minute he also writes for <a href="https://nextcoursework.com/cheap-coursework" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cheap Coursework</a>.

Overcome interview nerves: breathe, refocus, ask questions, and thank your interviewer.

Recovering an Interview from a Bad First Impression | Getting Hired

Recovering an Interview from a Bad First Impression

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141 Articles

8 Innovative Recruitment Strategies to Hire People with Disabilities

What is Assistive Technology?

Recovering an Interview from a Bad First Impression

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