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by Rebecca Lister | 8th May 2025

Improving Disabled Inclusive Hiring Practices

With 5.5 million disabled people now in work in the UK, inclusive hiring isn’t just a legal obligation—it’s a competitive advantage. This article breaks down how businesses can remove hidden barriers, comply with the Equality Act 2010, and create a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and welcoming for people working with disabilities.

From job descriptions to interview practices, discover actionable steps to attract and support disabled candidates—while strengthening your brand, culture, and team. Eclipse HR offers expert support to help you get it right.

Are your hiring practices unintentionally excluding top talent?

Traditional recruitment methods are often unintentionally inaccessible for people working with disabilities, meaning they are excluded from the recruitment process. This not only has negative effects on the disabled person looking to enter the workforce but also on businesses, as they are prevented from a wider, more diverse talent pool.

By making inclusive recruitment a priority, organisations not only create more equitable workplaces, but also open up fulfilling careers to a wider range of individuals.

With the rising number of disabled people in employment, it is crucial that employers and businesses keep inclusivity and accessibility in mind and take steps to ensure they are removing barriers to creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 provides legal protection for individuals with protected characteristics and forms a key part of upholding disability rights in the workplace. Under the Act, it is against the law to discriminate against someone with a “protected characteristic”. These include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Employers should be taking steps to ensure they are not directly or indirectly discriminating against any individuals based on these characteristics. This obligation is in place from the recruitment stage and throughout the course of an individual’s employment.

What is inclusive hiring?

Inclusive hiring is when businesses look to create a fair application, interview and selection process by encouraging applicants from diverse backgrounds. The goal is to eliminate barriers that could prevent certain individuals from accessing job opportunities and working with disabilities. In doing so, companies aim to promote a diverse workforce reflective of society. Businesses should focus on ensuring that all applicants are given equal opportunities during the hiring process.

Inclusive hiring may include offering reasonable adjustments during interviews or ensuring job descriptions are clear and accessible. Accommodations may also include flexible working options post-hire, supporting individuals to thrive in roles that suit their needs and responsibilities.

By making these changes, companies can attract a more diverse pool of talent and ensure that the best candidate can succeed regardless of their background.

Benefits of inclusive hiring

Adopting inclusive hiring practices can have numerous benefits, not just for disabled candidates but for businesses as well.

Inclusive hiring creates a more diverse workforce, bringing a range of perspectives and experiences into the company/team that can lead to improved decision-making, more innovative solutions, thereby fostering an inclusive culture within the organisation. A company where employees feel valued and supported can help to boost morale!

Furthermore, having inclusive hiring processes in place demonstrates a commitment to fairness and equality. This can lead to improved company reputation and brand.

Practical steps to adopt inclusive hiring

To create an inclusive hiring process to enable working with disabilities, businesses must take deliberate steps to remove barriers and ensure that disabled candidates have fair and equitable access to employment opportunities. Here are some practical steps employers can take:

Create Clear and Accessible Job Descriptions

Ensure that job descriptions are clear, concise, and free from unnecessary jargon.
Avoid vague language and focus on specifying the key behaviours and competencies needed for the role. This helps candidates better understand what is expected and ensures that the job is accessible to people with a variety of abilities.
Providing clear expectations, timelines and communications lets candidates know how the recruitment process will work, when decisions will be made and how soon they can expect to hear back after submitting an application and following interviews.

Offer Pre-Application Support

Provide guidance and assistance to disabled candidates before they even apply for a job. This can include offering information on how to request accommodations or access to work support during the application process, as well as offering advice on the specific skills and competencies required for the role.

Providing practical support such as clear guidance, accessibility information, or named contacts helps ensure that candidates with disabilities feel confident throughout the process. Employers can be proactive in ensuring applicants have access to reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process instead of waiting for them to make requests; or not for fear of discrimination or negative perceptions.

Outreach

Make a conscious effort to reach out to underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities. This can involve partnering with disability organisations, attending job fairs focused on disability employment, or advertising vacancies in accessible platforms that cater to disabled job seekers.

Sign up to the Disability Confident scheme, or signpost candidates to other support resources such as mentoring schemes, peer support networks, or accessibility toolkits. Employers may also consider engaging with government initiatives such as the Work and Health Programme to connect with motivated candidates and provide additional support.

Offer Multiple Ways to Apply

Some applicants may have difficulty submitting applications in traditional ways, so consider offering alternative ways to apply. By offering alternatives such as video submissions or phone applications, to name just a few, businesses can ensure that disabled candidates are not unintentionally excluded.

Make Reasonable Adjustments During Interviews

Under the Equality Act 2010 employers have a duty to make “reasonable adjustments” for employees with disabilities. This applies not only in the workplace but also in recruitment and selection processes. Failure to make these adjustments could be considered discriminatory, and businesses should be diligent in providing accommodations that allow disabled individuals to compete fairly for job opportunities.

It is important that employers are proactively asking candidates if they require any adjustments during the interview process. This could include providing accessible formats for interview questions, offering extra time for assessments, or ensuring that the interview location is accessible. The goal is to remove any barriers that might prevent a candidate from fully participating.

Note under section 60 of the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful, except in certain circumstances, to ask candidates questions about disability and health before any job offer. However, employers can ask pre-offer health questions to make reasonable adjustments to allow individuals to participate in the interview or assessment process, establish if candidates can perform tasks intrinsic to the work concerns, as long as questions are relevant to the role – e.g. heavy lifting.

Inclusive Interview Practices

• Ensure in-person interviews are held in accessible venues, with appropriate accommodations for individual needs.
• Offer online or remote interviews to provide equal opportunity for all candidates.
• Invite candidates to share any required adjustments ahead of time and accommodate requests such as extra time or breaks.
• Share the interview format and key questions in advance to support preparation, especially for neurodivergent candidates.
• Use structured interviews with consistent questions and clearly defined selection criteria to minimise bias.
• Rethink traditional expectations such as eye contact or handshakes, which may disadvantage neurodivergent individuals.
• Avoid assumptions about gaps in employment or atypical career paths—ask open questions to understand context.
• Where possible, include a diverse interview panel to encourage balanced decision-making.
• Communicate how decisions will be made and provide timely, constructive feedback where appropriate.

Gather feedback

After interviews, seek feedback from individuals. Doing so allows employers to understand the candidate’s experience, identify any potential barriers with a view to improve the overall inclusivity of the hiring process in the future, particularly for those working with disabilities.

Training and awareness

For any inclusive hiring process to succeed, training and awareness are crucial. HR teams, hiring managers, and other relevant staff should receive regular training on disability awareness, inclusive recruitment practices, and the legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010. This ensures that everyone involved in the hiring process understands the importance of inclusivity and is equipped to support disabled candidates effectively.

Takeaways

Creating a disability-inclusive hiring process is not just about meeting legal requirements — it’s about fostering a workplace that values diversity and creates opportunities for all.

By removing barriers and offering reasonable adjustments, businesses can tap into a broader talent pool, enhance innovation, and build a more inclusive company culture. As the number of disabled individuals in employment continues to rise, it’s essential that employers take the necessary steps to make their hiring processes accessible, fair, and welcoming to everyone.

Contact Us Today

Here at Eclipse HR, we provide consultancy and HR support for a range of services for business. As a local firm ourselves, with offices in Canterbury, Maidstone and Tenterden, we are honoured to work with many businesses across a variety of sectors.

Our experienced team is well-versed in inclusive recruitment and supporting companies hiring individuals working with disabilities. We take the time to understand your business needs and deliver tailored, practical solutions that make a lasting impact.

For more information on how we could help you, please feel free to explore our website to learn more about the HR services we provide in Kent and the South East; or get in touch to speak to a member of our team today!

Author: Rebecca Lister

Rebecca supports the Eclipse HR team and our clients across a range of tasks. Alongside her role, she is studying for an Integrated Masters in Advanced Legal Practice (MLaw) at the University of Kent. Her academic focus, particularly in employment law, complements her practical experience and deepens her understanding of HR in action.