What are alternative formats?

Around 1 in 5 people in the UK live with a disability. And yet, people with disabilities are massively under-represented in employment.

Disabled people are highly-skilled and want to work. Now that remote working is becoming more accessible, more people than ever can find a role that fits around their personal circumstances. To attract talent from this hidden talent pool, it’s important that your recruitment process is accessible and inclusive.

To achieve this, it’s important to provide alternative formats when advertising a job role. This is a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010. Make sure you mention that these formats are available in your job description.

Consider these questions when creating alternative formats in your application process:

• What information are you looking to gain from the applicant?

• Can you get this information in another way other than your current application form?

It’s also important that you include an email address so people with accessibility needs can contact you to discuss any reasonable adjustments in confidence.

Here are some examples of alternative formats:

• Offering a large print application form that can be posted to the applicant.

• Ensuring that your job post is accessible for screen readers.

• Offering an alternative method of applying (for example, submitting a video recording instead of a traditional typed application form).

To delve deeper into this subject, take a look at our ‘How to design accessible job roles’ and ‘Writing accessible job descriptions’ articles in our Help and Support Centre.