Is all the information in the job listing accessible? Is that video about the benefits of working at your company captioned? Do images advertising the job on Facebook or Instagram contain descriptivealternative text (alt text) so blind people find out what they show, including any text hiding inside? Using alt text to describe images on your website, by the way, is also good for search engine optimisation. Accessibility is essential for some, useful for all.
So wrote Aine Kelly-Costello in her blog “Accessible Online Job Recruitment Must Be a Priority, Now and Always” at Rooted in Rights. In the blog, Kelly-Costello writes about barriers to employment that haven’t been resolved in 25 years – online psychometric tests and application forms in particular. With so many companies initiating remote work possibilities, she says, “employers have the opportunity to harness the innovating spirits of our times to attract disabled talent by making their recruitment processes accessible and inclusive.” Candidates aren’t likely to bring up discrimination when they’re applying for jobs. “When you’re applying for a job, the last thing you want to do is rock the boat,” she quotes Robyn Powell, an attorney. The answer, according to the writer and her sources, is to “bake” accessibility in.
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