Start with the contribution you want to make.
Think about a task you completed, a problem you helped solve, or an idea you developed with others. What did you do, and what would you like a future colleague to understand about your work? A useful introduction begins with those details. Your background, disability, or the tools you use need not become the whole story of your professional potential.
Choose examples you can explain comfortably.
Prepare two or three examples that show your decisions and contribution. You might describe a project aloud, walk through a document, or discuss a piece of work in a portfolio. Practise using the tools and formats that work for you. If an interview includes a particular exercise, ask how it will be presented so you can prepare for the task rather than guess at the format.
Ask what the conversation will involve.
Before an interview or introductory meeting, ask about the location or platform, the people attending, and any activities planned. If you need information in advance or a different format, describe that clearly to your contact. For example: “I use a screen reader. Could you send the written exercise as selectable text rather than an image?” Or: “Written instructions alongside the spoken briefing would help me follow the task.” These are examples of individual preferences, not assumptions about what every blind or deaf person needs.
Make the practical arrangements specific.
If you want to discuss an access need, focus on the part of the process and what would help. Ask who can confirm the arrangement and when you should expect a response. Where useful, agree on a short technology check before the meeting. You can keep an initial practical request focused on how you participate without adding a personal history. If the arrangement is still unclear, ask a follow-up question rather than assume it has been put in place.
Make room for other people, too.
In a group project, ask colleagues how they prefer to receive information instead of guessing from their appearance or a label. Share materials in advance when possible, name the point you are referring to instead of saying only “over there,” and leave room for people to finish a contribution. Speak directly to the person you are working with. Different languages, races, disabilities, and life experiences do not tell you everything about someone’s skills or preferences; listening gives you a better starting point.
Take one practical step this week.
Write a short introduction that names something you can contribute. Then list what helps you do your best work: perhaps clear written instructions, a document format you can use, time to review a question, or a quieter place to talk. Choose one upcoming conversation and prepare a specific question about its format. You do not need to fit someone else’s image of a graduate to begin building your working life.