Disability job interviews: discussing tasks and access
Job Seeking with Disability: Questions your interviewer shouldn’t ask
By Lauren Fowler · Originally published 24 April 2019
Original article and dated context
[Clickability update, October 2026: Use current JobAccess interview guidance for the distinction between relevant task, safety and adjustment questions and intrusive personal questions. This historical checklist is not a complete statement of every legal obligation or exception.
5 questions you shouldn’t be asked in a job interview
During your interview all questions should relate to the requirements of the job you’re applying for. You should never feel any kind of pressure to give information about your illness, injury, disability or physical impairment. The only time you’re required to disclose details is if it might impact your ability to do the job safely.
You are never required to discuss how you got your injury or disability. Not through the interview process, not after you’ve been hired, not even after you’ve been working for an employer for ten years. This type of questioning is insensitive and invasive and if you get asked it in your interview you don’t have to answer.
How often you’re required to see your doctor is not something you need to discuss with your prospective employers. At the interview they can ask you questions about your ability to complete specific work-related tasks, but personal questions about your disability or injury are off limits.
Your interviewer must only ask questions about your injury, illness or disability if they relate directly to the job at hand. It is against the law for personal information about your disability to be used to discriminate against you.
Your interviewer can outline the specifics of the job you’re applying for and ask you questions related to whether or not you can do the job. They can, for example, describe a job-related task that requires you to do heavy lifting and ask whether you’re able to complete a task like that without compromising your health, questions outside that scope are not allowed.
Do you want to know more?
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Bring the conversation back to the work and access you need
Ask about essential tasks and the interview format. If you need an adjustment, describe the practical requirement and ask who will arrange it. When a question seems unrelated, you can ask why the information is needed and how it relates to the role.
Decisions about disclosure depend on the situation; seek suitable advice about any specific safety or legal obligation. Record a concern promptly and use JobAccess guidance to prepare useful questions. A historical provider recommendation does not establish today’s service offer.
Assess the role fairly and keep questions relevant
Describe tasks accurately, offer accessible recruitment and ask about adjustments without assuming a diagnosis tells you what someone can do. Protect applicant information and avoid speculative questions about health history. Where a legal or safety requirement is relevant, clarify its basis rather than using a generic disability question.
Questions readers ask
Is every question about a work adjustment prohibited?
No. Relevant task, safety and adjustment discussions are different from intrusive personal questioning. Official guidance
Find disability support alongside your job search
For NDIS assistance outside the employer’s responsibilities, describe your needs through Clickability. Use appropriate employment and legal advice for recruitment questions.