Only 38% of working-age adults with disabilities in the United States hold jobs, compared with 75% of people without disabilities, according to data cited during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. That gap leaves roughly 10 million people outside the labor pool at a moment when employers routinely report they cannot find qualified workers.

For HR teams, the numbers frame a direct people-process question: hiring barriers for candidates with disabilities rarely appear as an outright refusal to hire. They hide in unexamined job requirements, application systems, interview practices and interviewer assumptions — all areas HR controls.

The business case is quantified. A report from Accenture found that companies leading in disability inclusion generated 1.6 times more revenue, 2.6 times more net income and twice the economic profit of other companies in the study. Those companies were also 25% more likely to outperform industry peers on productivity.

Where the barriers actually sit

Disability discrimination is illegal, but exclusion typically operates below the level of policy. It lives in language, process design and interviewer behavior. Removing those barriers does not require hiring managers to become experts on every disability. It requires three things: an accessible hiring process, a focus on whether the candidate can perform the essential functions of the job, and asking candidates directly what accommodations they need rather than assuming.

Interview practice guidance by candidate type

Deaf or hard-of-hearing candidates. Ask the candidate how they prefer to communicate — interpreter, lip reading, or written questions and answers. If an interpreter is present, speak to the candidate, not the interpreter. If the candidate reads lips, look directly at them. Do not raise your voice.

Blind or low-vision candidates. Introduce yourself with your name and title, and describe your appearance and the layout of the interview setting. When offering seating, offer to place the person's hand on the back or arm of the chair. To initiate a handshake, ask, "May I shake your hand?" Ask what assistance, if any, would help. Remember these candidates cannot "read" body language or facial expressions.

Candidates with speech disabilities. People who stutter or have other speech disabilities often just need more time to form and express answers. Ask whether the candidate would prefer to write responses, for example on a whiteboard.

Candidates with mobility disabilities. Some wheelchair users prefer to transfer to a chair for the interview. Many consider a wheelchair part of their body space — do not lean against it or move it without permission. Sit at eye level with the candidate, and let people using canes or crutches keep them within reach.

Neurodivergent candidates. Neurodiversity spans developmental, mental health and intellectual disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism and PTSD. Communication skills vary widely across this population. HR teams should remember that soft skills like small talk, eye contact and humor are not necessarily job qualifications.

Not lowering standards

Creating a more inclusive hiring process does not mean lowering standards or giving candidates with disabilities special treatment, the guidance emphasizes. It means removing unnecessary barriers so every applicant has a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.

For employers struggling to fill open roles, the practical next step is an internal audit: job requirements, application systems, interview practices and the assumptions behind them. The capable workers many employers say they are looking for may have been in the candidate pool all along.