If a disability-related barrier makes an interview or assessment difficult to access, explain the barrier and ask about an appropriate adjustment. Keep the request focused on participation and confirm the practical arrangements before the appointment.
Describe the barrier, request an adjustment and confirm the process
Contact the employer’s stated accommodation or recruitment contact and explain what change would help you participate. You do not need to turn the first message into a detailed medical history.
- Review the interview format, location, timing and any assessment instructions.
- Identify the functional barrier you need addressed.
- Use the employer’s stated request channel, or ask the recruiter which channel applies.
- Describe a proposed adjustment and invite discussion of an effective alternative.
- Ask how any necessary supporting information should be provided securely.
- Confirm the agreed logistics and who to contact if the arrangement is missing.
Coverage, supporting-information rules and available remedies depend on the jurisdiction and facts. This guide offers practical preparation, not a determination of your individual legal rights.
Explain what prevents participation
A functional description identifies the relevant obstacle. For example, an interview location may not be physically accessible, or an assessment format may create a disability-related barrier. State the part of the process that needs attention and the change you are requesting.
A concise message could say: “I am scheduled for the interview on Tuesday. Because of a disability-related access need, I would like to discuss an accessible location for the meeting. Please let me know who coordinates this request and what information is needed.”
The example is a starting point, not wording that guarantees a particular result. Adapt it to the actual barrier and process.
Understand the U.S. federal context
EEOC guidance explains that a disability-related accommodation request does not need special legal wording or necessarily have to be written. Requests are considered individually, and an effective alternative may need discussion.
Read the EEOC’s accommodation tips for the U.S. federal context.
You will go to https://www.eeoc.gov
Do not assume that every preference is a required accommodation or that every employer is covered identically. The process considers the relevant rules and circumstances; it does not guarantee selection for the job.
Keep the information request proportionate and secure
Ask what information is needed, who should receive it and how it will be handled. Do not email a full medical file to everyone involved in an interview. If documentation is requested, use the appropriate designated process and seek advice when the request is unclear.
Review EEOC guidance on pre-employment disability inquiries to understand why the stage and purpose of a question matter.
You will go to https://www.eeoc.gov
U.S. pre-offer rules have important distinctions and exceptions. Do not apply a simplified rule such as never disclose anything to every situation, country or hiring stage.
For Canada, identify the correct jurisdiction
The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s workplace guide addresses federally regulated workplaces. It emphasizes discussing needs and barriers, assessing the situation and reviewing the arrangement.
Read the CHRC guide for federally regulated workplaces when that framework is relevant.
You will go to https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca
Many Canadian workplaces fall under provincial or territorial rules instead. Verify the responsible authority for your situation rather than treating this federal guide or the U.S. ADA as a universal Canadian process.
Work through an assessment-format discussion
Imagine an applicant receives assessment instructions that create a disability-related access barrier. Instead of simply missing the assessment, they contact the stated coordinator, identify the obstacle and ask what accessible arrangement can be considered.
The coordinator proposes an alternative format. The applicant checks whether it actually addresses the barrier and confirms any required timing or technology. If it does not, they explain the remaining problem rather than saying yes to an arrangement they cannot use.
The goal is effective participation in the assessment. The request does not remove the need to demonstrate the role’s required qualifications or justify claiming skills the applicant lacks.
Confirm the logistics in a short record
Keep the date, contact, requested change and agreed arrangement. Before the interview, check location access, platform details and the support contact where relevant. Do not assume every interviewer has received private information or needs it.
If the adjustment is not in place, contact the responsible person promptly and describe the practical problem. Preserve the relevant facts if a concern needs further advice. Available complaint routes and deadlines should be checked with the appropriate authority.
Continue ordinary interview preparation
Prepare truthful examples of relevant work and questions about the role. Our application evidence guide and transferable-skills guide can help organize those examples.
If a process becomes silent, use a measured status request while keeping any accommodation concern separate and factual. A clear request supports access to the process; it cannot guarantee the requested method or a hiring outcome.