How Job Application Norms Discriminate Against Disabled People
It’s commonly known that disabled people face significant barriers to employment. Only roughly half of disabled people are in employment, compared to four out of five non-disabled people. Many companies which pride themselves on inclusive hiring may be aware of some issues facing disabled applicants and help with mobility aids or accessibility software.
Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash: A white woman is looking down at her laptop screen with an expression of concentration. There is a gold statue on the desk which is a woman holding scales in Ancient Greek clothing.
However, those forward-thinking companies might not realise that their application process itself is inaccessible for many disabled people, and prevents many disabled candidates from even applying for their opening, meaning they miss out on many qualified and suitable candidates.
In 2017, Scope commissioned a survey that showed that disabled people apply for 60% more jobs than non-disabled people when job searching, with some individuals reaching over a thousand applications. Discrimination is certainly one factor, but other issues can unintentionally make it harder for some disabled and chronically ill people to apply for work.
How job applications discriminate against disabled people
Many people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, especially the “invisible” kind, struggle to apply for jobs online. For example, screen time can create headaches or only be possible for a limited time. Websites can often be inaccessible for screenreaders or other adaptions. Job applications that require typing, which can be difficult, exclude candidates for jobs that don’t require typing.
But a huge barrier that is rarely mentioned is that a very large proportion of disabled and chronically ill people struggle with fatigue, whether that’s due to the illness itself, medication, pain, or something else. An application which would take a non-disabled person half a day can take someone who struggles with fatigue or brain fog a much larger amount of their time. Many have fewer functional hours, and may only be able to work a few days a week or a few hours a day.
Job applications often include not only a cover letter and CV, but regularly include all the information from a CV typed up in the company’s required format, which is difficult and time-consuming. Re-entering that information alone can take a long time. Online personality tests, address histories, references etc, can also be part of the process. Clunky design such as difficult drop down menus and required information – a pain for a non-disabled person – are much bigger obstacles for people who suffer from fatigue.
Companies often view their application processes as a difficult but rare event: however, as disabled people are more likely to apply for more jobs to find one, and often take longer to apply for each position, the effect is that job applications – and finding a job - take longer and is much harder for disabled people.
While some employers – primarily smaller companies – will accept a CV and cover letter, larger companies who will consider themselves more disability-friendly often require an application on their system instead, which can take significantly longer: hours to days is common. Similarly, higher-paid jobs are more likely to require a complicated application process, contributes to higher rates of poverty for disabled people and their families.
The solution to creating accessible job applications
One solution was the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, now replaced by the underperforming Disability Confident Scheme. A few employers still use it, but it has the disadvantage that it requires disclosing a disability upfront, leaving the applicant vulnerable to discrimination.
Another solution is to allow people to apply via CV and cover letter, or to simplify your application process. Does the candidate need to give that information at this level of application? Could the format be more accessible?
Rethinking the accessibility of your application process could mean you won’t be missing out on capable and qualified disabled candidates.
Written by Rita