Interview tips - before the interview

Before the interview, when preparing to interview a person with disability for a story, it can help to:

• Consider the interview location. For example, will the person require ramps, lifts, accessible parking or an accessible toilet?
• Is the interview location quiet enough to enable the person to hear you? Are there any distractions that may make the person feel overwhelmed or find it difficult to concentrate?
• If the person has a service animal, do you need to consider providing a bowl of water and outside access for the animal’s toileting?
• Ask the person if they need additional support. For example, will they need their carer or support worker with them or do they require a sign language or other interpreter?
• Does the person need to see the questions in advance? This may be helpful for people with anxiety and people with brain injury or intellectual disability. Someone using a communication aid may need extra time to prepare their responses before they meet you.

Types of support people with disability may need

Required support may include, but is not limited to:

• Auslan interpreting for people who are Deaf
• Personal assistance for people with physical disability
• A support worker:
  • to explain complex terminology and concepts (for people with cognitive disability)
  • to provide emotional assistance (for people with psychiatric disability who may feel overwhelmed by the process).