Testing Accommodations:Venue: It would be important to provide an accessible venue forconducting tests for people with orthopaedic disabilities.Scribes: A person with a visual disability or a person who lacks manual dexterity may need assistance in filling out an application form or writing tests. Without such accommodations, these individuals may have no opportunity to be considered for a job.Format: A change in testing format refers to the use of a different medium or method to present the same information. Therefore, Braille, large print, a reader, audiotape and computer, which may be used with a voice synthesiser or Braille display, are accessible ways of presenting the same information.Extra Time: The time limit for performing a test can be extended for people with certain disabilities whose speed is affected by their disability. Time limit should not be extended when speed is a determining factor or an essential function (e.g. typing speed for a data entry operator), as that changes the nature of the qualification being assessed.Content: In the context of competitive testing, changes may be made to the content for people with certain disabilities, if the test score is a priority selection criterion. For instance, a test requiring data interpretation using tables / diagrams / photographs /maps may pose difficulties for some people with visual disabilities. Therefore, alternate questions could be provided. Spelling and written language tests may be difficult for a person with dyslexia. They could be exempted from attempting these questions.Extra breaks: Short breaks during the assessment may be necessary for candidates who are easily fatigued or who have anxiety-related problems. These breaks should not be counted as part of the test time. Use of Assistive Devices: Candidates may use technical aids or services to fully or partially compensate for their disabilities. For example, a candidate with a visual impairment may use a magnifying glass or large- print screen and hearing-impaired candidates, sign language or oral interpreters.Finally, the person responsible for the assessment should look into access to the location (for example, access for candidates in wheelchairs) or whether special facilities are required (for example, lighting, special table/chair, etc.).Other relevant aspects of the assessment: Other aspects of the assessment should be investigated or clarified as required. For example, special seating arrangements with an unobstructed view of the test administrator might be necessary for a candidate with a slight hearing impairment who lip-reads.It is recommended that, where possible, selection boards assessing candidates with disabilities have at least one member with a disability or someone who is knowledgeable about the disability concerned.Where it is not possible to test in an alternative format, the employer may be required, as a reasonable accommodation, to evaluate the skill to be tested in another manner (e.g., through an interview or work experience requirements). Interview Accommodations and Etiquette General guidelines: Conduct interviews in a manner that emphasises abilities, achievements and individual qualities. Conduct the interview as you would with anyone. An individual with a disability should be afforded the same courtesies that are extended to any other interviewee. Be considerate without being patronising. Do not assume that just because a person has a disability, she/he will not be able to perform certain job functions. Do not stare at a manifestation of a person’s disability or call undue attention to it. You may extend a handshake to an individual with quadriplegia, short arms, a prosthesis or blindness. Maintain eye contact with an individual who is blind or who uses an interpreter, even when the interpreter is speaking. Give the interviewee your undivided attention even when she or he cannot see you. If requested to do so, escort a blind person through an office discreetly and without fanfare. Reasonable adjustments may be made to ensure that the procedure is free from discrimination against any candidates. All people involved in the interview process should know their responsibility to ensure that disabled people are not substantially disadvantaged in comparison with non-disabled candidates; All staff involved in the selection process should be fully aware of the criteria set out by the person specification; and the requirements of the job description. Questions should be drawn up that relate strictly to requirements of the above. These questions should be put to all interviewees, with follow-up questions where necessary and appropriate.Reasonable Accommodations for InterviewsEaster Seals, a Chicago based non-profit organisation that provides multiple services to persons with disabilities across United States, defines reasonable accommodations as adjustments or modifications which range from making the physical environment accessible, to providing assistive equipment or providing certain types of personal assistants (e.g., a reader for a person who has visual impairment, an interpreter for a person who has hearing impairment). It suggests that all candidates should be asked about the need for accommodations prior to any scheduled interviews. Each request for an accommodation must be addressed individually, and on its own merit. The candidate herself/himself can provide the best information regarding the needed accommodation. Easter Seals website has the following guidelines to make interview process accessible and non-discriminatory for persons with disabilities:Interviewing SuggestionsInterviewing Candidates with Mobility Impairments*(*Mobility impairments can range from stiffness of joints due to arthritis to complete paralysis below the neck.) Some candidates with mobility impairments will phone in prior to the interview date, specifically for travel information. You should be very familiar with the travel path in order to provide interviewees with detailed information. Make sure the place where you plan to conduct the interview is accessible by checking the following:- Are there special parking spaces for disabled people available nearby?- Is there a ramp or step-free entrance?- Are there accessible restrooms?- If the interview is on the first floor, does the building have an elevator? If an interview site is inaccessible (e.g., steps without a ramp or a building without an elevator), inform the person about the barrier prior to the interview and offer to make arrangements for an alternative interview site. Enable people who use crutches, canes, or wheelchairs/scooters to keep them within reach. Be aware that some wheelchair users may choose to transfer themselves out of their wheelchair to an office chair for the interview. During the interview, sit at that person’s eye level to facilitate conversation.Interviewing Candidates with Visual Impairments*(*Visual impairments range from difficulty in reading small print to total blindness.) When greeting a person who is totally blind, identify yourself and introduce anyone else who is present. Upon request, allow a person with a visual impairment to take your arm at or close to the elbow. This will enable you to guide rather than propel or lead the person. Use specifics such as “left, a hundred feet” or “right, two yards” when directing a person with a visual impairment. If you will be providing written or printed material, find out before the interview if an accommodation will be required. Accommodations will vary according to the candidate’s degree of visual impairment, from providing information in large print to providing a reader.Interviewing Candidates with Speech Impairments You should first check with the applicants if they prefer a mode of communication. Some people with speech impairments may prefer to supply their answers in writing. Allow time for the person to speak, and resist the temptation to speak for the person or complete her/his sentences.Interviewing Candidates with Hearing Impairments*(* Hearing impairments range from partial loss of hearing to complete deafness.) You should first check with the applicants if they prefer a mode of communication. Some people lip read, some use sign language interpreting and some others prefer communication in writing. If the person lip-reads, maintain eye contact. Speak clearly, and at a normal pace. Use a normal tone of voice, unless otherwise requested. Using a Sign Language Interpreter:- If an interpreter is present, the interpreter should be seated beside the person conducting the interview, and across from the person being interviewed.- Speak to the candidate, not to the interpreter, and always maintain eye contact with the interviewed candidate, not the interpreter.- The interpreter will be a few words behind the speaker, so allow for the extra time it will take for the candidate to respond.- Interpreters facilitate communication. However, they should never be consulted or regarded as a reference for the candidate being interviewed.104Regardless of physical limitations, it is the fit between an individual’s abilities and your position that matters. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but accept a share of responsibility for making the interaction successful. You can give candidates with disabilities a fair chance to present their qualifications by ensuring that: Your application and interview process comply with the accessible guidelines, which prohibits disability-related questions or medical exams before a real job offer is made. Your office or other interview location is accessible to candidates with mobility, visual, or hearing disabilities. When setting up interviews explain the interview process in detail and provide a vehicle by which any candidate can request a disability-related accommodation. All questions asked during an interview are job-related, open ended and focused on the disabled candidate’s technical and professional knowledge, skills, experiences, and interest, and not on the disability itself. Help disabled candidates do better in their interviews by telling them prior to the interview what specific skills you will be assessing and what areas they should be prepared to provide additional information about. Be honest with disabled candidates who are rejected. Make it clear to them specifically what they need to do in order to become more qualified. Periodically send them an electronic newsletter about the company in order to demonstrate your continued interest. Provide managers with training on how to more accurately assess and better understand disabled candidates during interviews.