When I applied for my job at the Office of Disability Employment Policy a few years ago, a human resources officer reviewed my resume and scheduled interviews with potential colleagues. That’s a familiar process for many job applicants, though artificial intelligence tools like automated resume screening and interview analysis are increasingly common. While these tools can simplify the complicated hiring process, research shows that AI hiring tools can reflect the biases of the people who create them.
I got hired. But being disabled makes me wonder: Would AI tools have screened me out? Now it’s my job to answer questions like this, figuring out the impacts emerging technologies can have on disability inclusion at work, both good and bad.
My work with the ODEP-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology creates resources to help organizations build inclusive workplaces. Our goal is to make workplace technology accessible and equitable for all, including people with disabilities.