Most candidates who could ask for an interview adjustment do not ask. The reasons are consistent: they worry it will count against them, they are not sure they are "disabled enough" to qualify, or they simply do not know what is available to request. So they go into a format that disadvantages them, underperform relative to what they can actually do in the job, and conclude they are bad at interviews.
This guide covers what you are entitled to in the UK, what is worth asking for, how to word it, and how to prepare well if you would rather not disclose anything. It is written for anyone the standard format does not suit: autistic and ADHD candidates, people with dyslexia or dyspraxia, anyone with anxiety, a hearing or visual impairment, a chronic condition, or a temporary injury.
The legal position, briefly
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers in the UK have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their recruitment process for disabled candidates. The Act's definition is broader than most people assume: a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. That covers many people who would never describe themselves as disabled, including a lot of neurodivergent candidates and people with long-term mental health conditions.
Two things follow that are worth knowing:
- The duty is on the employer, and it is anticipatory in spirit. Asking is not asking for a favour. A well-run employer expects these requests and has a process for them.
- They can ask whether you need adjustments, but questions about health are otherwise restricted before an offer. Employers are generally not allowed to ask about your health or disability before offering you a job, other than to establish whether you need adjustments for the process itself, or to check you can carry out an intrinsic function of the role.
Nothing here is legal advice, and if you think you have been treated unfairly, Acas offers free advice.
What you can actually ask for
Adjustments are usually small, practical and cheap. Most requests fall into a handful of categories:
Getting the questions in advance. The single most useful adjustment for many people, and more commonly granted than candidates expect. It does not tell you the answers; it removes the working-memory load of parsing a question under pressure. Very reasonable to ask for competency questions ahead of time.
Extra time. For timed tests, presentations, in-tray or psychometric assessments. Typically 25 per cent, in line with exam conventions, though it varies.
A different format. A one-to-one instead of a panel, a written exercise instead of a verbal one, or a video call instead of an in-person interview, or the reverse if screens are the problem.
Environmental changes. A quieter room, no fluorescent overhead lighting, no group lunch element, a seat away from a window, permission to keep sunglasses or ear defenders on.
Breaks and timing. A short break between stages, an interview scheduled for a specific time of day when your medication or energy works best, or a longer gap between rounds.
Support with the material. A hard copy of the questions in front of you during the interview, permission to take notes, or documents in a specific font, size or colour.
Someone with you. A supporter or communication professional present, including a BSL interpreter.
Clear expectations. A written outline in advance of the format, who will be there, how long it will take and what each stage involves. Useful for a lot of autistic candidates, and honestly useful for everyone.
How to word the request
Keep it short, factual and forward-looking. You do not need to explain your medical history, provide a diagnosis, or justify yourself. Email the recruiter or the named contact once you have been invited.
"Thank you for the invitation, I am looking forward to it.
I am autistic and there are a couple of adjustments that would help me interview at my best. Would it be possible to have the interview questions sent to me the day before, and to have the interview in a room without overhead fluorescent lighting if there is one available?
Neither affects my ability to do the role. Happy to discuss if it is easier to talk it through."
Why this works: it is brief and unapologetic, it asks for specific practical things rather than gesturing at a need, and the line about not affecting the role pre-empts the unspoken worry without being defensive. Naming the condition is optional; "I have a disability that means..." is equally valid if you prefer not to specify.
Ask as early as is comfortable, ideally when you accept the invitation, since some adjustments need arranging.
Should you disclose
This is a genuine judgement call and the honest answer is that it depends on you, not on a rule.
Reasons to disclose: you need an adjustment that materially changes your performance; you would rather work somewhere that responds well, and the response is useful information; or your condition is visible or likely to come up anyway and you would rather frame it yourself.
Reasons not to: you do not need anything for the process; you have had bad experiences; or you simply do not want to. That is a legitimate choice and you are not obliged to explain anything.
A middle path many people use: request the adjustment without naming a condition. "I would find it helpful to have the questions in advance" is a request an employer can act on without any disclosure at all, and plenty of employers grant it without asking why.
If a company reacts badly to a reasonable, well-worded request, that is worth knowing at the interview stage rather than three months into the job.
Preparing if you choose not to disclose
You can do a lot unilaterally.
Ask about the format. Anyone can ask what the structure will be, how many people will be there and how long it will last. It is a normal question and it removes most of the uncertainty that makes formats hard.
Build your answers in advance. If recall under pressure is the problem, having a prepared set of examples changes everything. The story bank approach is designed for exactly this: a fixed set of stories mapped to likely questions so you are retrieving rather than composing.
Use structure deliberately. The STAR method is genuinely helpful if you tend to go off on tangents or lose the thread, because it gives you a rail to follow rather than an open field.
Rehearse the opening. The first ninety seconds carry disproportionate weight and are the most scriptable part. Getting your introduction solid reduces the anxiety that spills into everything after it.
Practise in the real format. Repetition is what turns an interview from an event into a routine, and it is the most reliable thing for interview nerves as well.
Things worth knowing
The Disability Confident scheme. Employers displaying the Disability Confident badge commit to offering an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. Worth looking for on job adverts, though the quality of employers within it varies.
Access to Work. A government scheme that can fund support in the job itself, including equipment, a support worker or travel costs. It applies after you are in post rather than at interview, but knowing it exists is useful when you are weighing whether a role is workable.
Adjustments in the job are a separate conversation. Getting an adjustment for the interview does not commit you to anything later, and asking about one now does not remove your right to ask about the other after an offer.
The thing worth remembering
The purpose of an interview is to find out whether you can do the job. If the format is measuring your ability to handle fluorescent lighting and surprise questions rather than your ability to do the work, it is producing a bad signal for the employer as much as an unfair one for you. A reasonable adjustment does not give you an advantage; it removes an obstacle that was never part of the job.
If preparation is the part you want to strengthen, you can practise real interview questions in a format you control, as many times as you want, which for a lot of people is the adjustment that helps most.