Asking about disability on a form is not the only way to understand the support a person may need. In fact, it might not even be the best approach.
It can’t be emphasised enough, the importance of providing services that are inclusive of both disabled customers and employees. One way to ensure access and inclusion is by asking about disability on a form. The way you phrase your questions can significantly impact your ability to adapt and make a disabled person feel included and engaged. However, if these questions are not well-crafted, they could lead to negative consequences for your business.
According to a report produced by EvenBreak, a disability job board, 12% of disabled applicants reported disclosing a disability at the application stage, and 23% reported disclosing a disability for the interview.
Before strategizing how to ask the question, it’s important to understand the consequences of not having an inclusive service.
Bias can manifest in the engagement process, whether for recruitment or for feedback on a product or service. Unconscious bias from hiring panels and decision-makers can be influenced if disability is disclosed on a form.
Asking about a disability on a form may be interpreted as a means to discriminate. If a disabled person is not successful in their application after disclosing their disability, both the candidate and the business might perceive this as a discriminatory act based on disability.
Additionally,
Not every person who requires support identifies as having a disability. Some individuals may simply select the “no” box if they do not view themselves as disabled. Therefore, asking someone about their disability and receiving a “no” response may ultimately render the question irrelevant.
Phrasing the question incorrectly may not yield the answers you need. For instance, if you ask a disabled person what their disability is, their response may not inform you about the specific support they require. For example, if I tell you I have cerebral palsy, do you automatically know what support I need?
Developing an Inclusive Service
At the form-filling stage, it’s not essential to know if a person is disabled. We should focus on evaluating candidates based on their qualifications and merits rather than personal characteristics. However, it is crucial to understand individuals’ access requirements to ensure accessibility and inclusion.
How To Ask About Disability On A Form
You can ask:
“Do you have any access requirements you would like us to be aware of?”
This question can encompass a wide range of needs for those filling out your form. For example, access requirements are not limited to disabilities; a parent may need to leave at a specific time to pick up their child from nursery school, which could mean they cannot attend interviews between 11 AM and 1 PM.
Communicating Your Inclusive Intentions
Tailoring a service or experience to be inclusive and accessible can significantly enhance it for disabled individuals. It helps them feel valued and welcomed and encourages confidence in asking for specific support needs.
Here are some elements to consider alongside asking about disability on a form:
Setting the Scene for Inclusion
Once we have identified an appropriate alternative question to gather the necessary information, we should also focus on how to frame the question to encourage responses. Before asking, “Do you have any access requirements you would like us to be aware of?”, consider how to set the scene.
People, especially disabled individuals, are more likely to engage with your feedback question if they understand why you are asking it. Without this understanding, it’s natural for them to feel suspicious about the use of that information. Take some time to explain why you are asking the question, what measures you currently have in place to ensure accessibility and inclusion, and how you will use the information provided. We talk about this a lot in our training sessions, especially “accessible and inclusive events”.
When discussing how you will utilise this information, it’s important to go beyond just compliance with GDPR regulations, although that is crucial. You must ensure that the respondents understand how their information will help enhance their experience. People are more likely to respond honestly if they comprehend the rationale behind the question being asked.
During lockdown, I hosted a series of webinars for the general public. Each session included a paragraph explaining how the webinar was designed to be inclusive, why we were asking about access, and how the gathered information would be used. The screenshot the followers is a snapshot of the information we provided. Alt Text is provided below.
We provided the following information:
**Inclusion**
The webinar will be hosted as a presentation, allowing time for questions at the end. Within the Zoom platform, participants can submit questions by typing them into a designated box. These questions will be read aloud and answered during the session. Any presentation slides used will be read out loud to all participants. If there are any access requirements you would like us to be aware of, please let us know.
Asking the question
So many people are nervous about asking the question. It may have to do with a fear of the answer – but really, what can the worst scenario be? As a disabled person, I do not sit around at home thinking, “How can I make this business life more difficult?” Many disabled people have already found ways to manage a disability. Therefore, the access requirements that we require are either free to implement or something that should be pre-existing in the first place (for example, an accessible toilet)
Others don’t ask the question as they conclude if nobody has complained in the past, there is no need to ask now. The reason why nobody has complained in the past is that they do not know that there is support available. They may have simply gone somewhere else.
Make suggestions
Not every disabled person knows exactly what they will need to feel truly included in the process. This may be because they don’t know what is going to happen when they get there or it may be because they don’t know what support may be available to them. This is where you can fill in the gaps.
Start by explaining what is going to happen and what they will need to do. This might be the process of an interview they will be attending, or an event they are coming to. The more information you can offer, the more informed the person can be about the possible support they may need.
Offer a list of suggested support. This helps disabled people who need more support and encouragement to ask. This will also reinforce the message that you are inclusive and want to value and welcome disabled people into your business.
Offer alternatives
By offering alternative solutions to completing an online form, you can ensure that you are not excluding anyone. You may consider offering a downloadable Word document or a contact number. This contact number should connect the person with an employee who can help them complete the form. Ensure the person is equipped with the information they will need.
Engage with the response
When you ask a question (any question) you should have a strategy for dealing with a response. What is your process for implementing that reasonable adjustment your audience attendee has requested? At the very least, you should be reaching out to that individual to thank them for getting in touch. Explain what the next steps in the process are – if there are any.
If you do not know how to implement the support the individual has asked for, be honest, say that! You can collaborate with that individual to find a solution that works for them within your budget and/or limitations. If after discussion, you find it is something you cannot implement, have that discussion with the disabled person. Explain why it is not possible and what alternative you have in mind.
Follow up
After your event, follow up with all your guests by asking them about how they found your event in terms of inclusion and accessibility. As before, ask if anyone had any access requirements when attending. All the people who answer yes, you can ask follow-up questions about how they found the experience. Use this knowledge to improve and develop your service for the future.
If nothing else, the most important thing to take from this blog is confidence. Too many people don’t engage in the conversation for fear of getting it wrong. It is better to get it wrong and to ask how to correct it than to not ask in the first place.
Ensure staff confidence
Whether you are preparing for inclusive recruitment of disabled candidates or want to ensure that disabled guests and visitors receive an inclusive experience, it is important to ensure that your staff are confident. Provide resources, training, and support to enable them to feel confident discussing disability and support needs. Your staff are the gateway to encouraging confidence amongst your disabled contacts. Ensure you get it right!
To ensure your forms and systems are ready to engage and include disabled people, let’s talk.
Are your forms up to scratch?
Esi (rhymes with messy) set up Celebrating Disability in 2017; offering training, consulting and auditing to support businesses attract, engage and retain disabled people. Having the opportunity to support businesses to see the wealth of benefits that disabled people can bring to business, either as customers or employees is a privilege. She is passionate about disability equality and inclusion and loves nothing more than that “Ah ha” moment with a client when they see what disability equality and inclusion can do for them.