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Making Yourself Feel Comfortable
How do I interview someone who is blind?
You may find yourself thinking, I’ve never interviewed a person who’s blind. I’m not sure what to say or how to act. You are in good company; this is true for most employers. The following six suggestions can help you feel more comfortable so that you can concentrate on the job candidate’s skills and abilities.
Remember that a person with a disability is a “person” first.
Disability is just one aspect or characteristic. It is secondary when getting to know the person. Focus on the job applicants and their abilities and techniques for doing the work.
If you are not sure how to refer to the person’s disability, ask.
For instance, you can ask, “What term do you use when you talk about your vision loss?”, if you are not sure whether the person refers to their disability as “blindness” or “visual impairment”.
Blindness or visual-impairment does not mean helplessness.
A general rule of thumb: Always ask people who are blind or visually impaired if they would like assistance.
Don’t worry about using phrases like “See you tomorrow,” or “Look at this.”
People who are blind or visually impaired use these phrases too. They won’t be offended.
Identify yourself when you enter and leave a room.
For example, you might say, “This is Maggie, and I am just looking in the file cabinet for some brochures.” When you leave the room, say, “Well, I found them, and now I better get back to work. See you later.” If they don’t hear you leave, people who are blind or visually impaired may begin to talk only to discover you are not there.
Speak directly and use verbal cues.
People who are blind or visually impaired use verbal cues when conversing with another person. For example, if you speak directly to them, they can turn in your direction to reply. If you would like to shake their hand, just say, “I’d like to shake your hand,” and they can extend theirs out to you.
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