RESOURCE

• Website
• Tool

Evaluating language choices in job postings to promote fairness in hiring.

Ableist language is language that is offensive to people with disability. This type of language in job descriptions can cause people with disabilities to feel excluded from jobs that they are qualified for, which may result in a more limited applicant pool.

To prevent language choices that may discourage applicants, xD partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (DOL ODEP) to develop a natural language processing-powered tool that will allow a user (for example: a hiring manager, human resources specialist, or a recruiter, among others) to check a job posting for ableist language. The tool identifies ableist language in the text and recommends alternative language to make the posting less exclusionary, to attract applicants with broader skillsets and experiences.

Usage Instructions

The tool is currently available as a python library, command line script, and locally-instantiated web application for those who would like to check job descriptions for ableist language. For integration into recruiting pipelines (e.g. checking job descriptions for ableist language in bulk), we recommend using the python library. For checking of individual job descriptions, we recommend using the command line script or the locally-instantiated web application, depending on if you prefer to see the results in the command line or through a graphical user interface.

For instructions on how to access and use all three versions of this tool, please see the Github repository.

We anticipate launching a publicly-hosted version of the web application in the future that will allow users to check job descriptions directly without having to launch a local instance. Check back for updates on the launch date for the web application.

Learn More

To learn more about the methodology behind the tool, see the Github repository.

To learn more about our partners at DOL ODEP, see their website.