If you are considering setting up an online application process through your website, here are a few suggestions from the OFCCP FAQ’s on Disability Issues Related to Online Application Systems that you will need to know.
What are some of the types of reasonable accommodations that might be needed in the application process?
Reasonable accommodations in the application process may include, but are not limited to:
- providing information regarding job vacancies in a format accessible to individuals with vision or hearing impairments, e.g., making information available in Braille, and by responding to job inquiries via TDDs or use of the telephone relay system;
- providing readers, interpreters, or other similar assistance during the application process;
- appropriately adjusting or modifying employment-related examinations, e.g., by extending the time in which to complete an online examination for an applicant with a cognitive or neurological disability; and
- ensuring an applicant with a mobility impairment has full access to testing locations, e.g., if an online test is given via a company kiosk, the kiosk must be physically accessible to the applicant with a mobility impairment.
How can a contractor know whether its online application system is interoperable with assistive technology used by individuals with disabilities?
In order for an application system to be generally accessible, it should incorporate “interoperable” electronic and information technologies. Interoperability is the ability of a computer system to effectively interact and communicate when an applicant with a disability is using assistive technology/adaptive software and adaptive strategies with the contractor’s application system. The U.S Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has identified resources available to the contractor community and job applicants in this regard. This and other information can be found on ODEP’s website at www.dol.gov/odep/. Additional resources can be found on the website of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at www.jan.wvu.edu.
For more information, read the the entire listing of OFCCP FAQ’s related to disability issues and online applicant tracking systems.
