Written by Amy Butterworth

The Equality Act 2010 requires by law that everyone has the same access to the same opportunities in their workplace. This includes people with disabilities because, usually, workplaces and systems are not designed to accommodate disabilities from the beginning.

Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs. This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers and business partners.

Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities or health conditions

Gov.uk website

This means you are entitled to request support if your working environment does not fully support you doing your work.

Before you ask for adjustments

There are two models when it comes to how we consider supporting people with disability:

• The Medical Model: “you have a disability that is stopping you from entering this building, so now we must install a ramp.” In other words: the disability is the problem.
• The Social Model: “you have a disability, and we need to install a ramp so that you can enter the building.” In other words: the entrance is the problem.

It is important to recognise this difference. It is not the case that the disability or the additional needs are stopping you from doing your work. The disability is not the barrier: the fact that the venue has not been designed to be accessible is the barrier.

It can feel intimidating asking for help, or adjustments, at work. There can be a worry about ‘being a burden’ or ‘causing trouble’, or perhaps some concern about disclosing a disability. This is why there are laws protecting workers with disabilities, so that employers understand the importance of creating a fully inclusive and accessible work environment that supports all their staff.

There are no legal requirements for you to disclose your disability, but if you are open about how it affects your job then it provides an opportunity for your employer to make adjustments to support you.

Scope, a charity supporting those with disabilities, has some examples of how to discuss disability at application and job interview stages.

You need to understand the benefits of being open and the consequences of not being open. Being open enables you to get the support you need to perform at your best; not doing so could lead you to be rejected for a job you are the best candidate for.’ Particularly if your disability or health condition is visible, it also allows you to take control of the narrative – to stress your strengths and implicitly counter any assumptions you might be concerned about the employer having (as long as you do it in the right way).

Helen Cooke, CEO of MyPlus, an organisation that supports students and graduates with disabilities and their employers

Here are three examples of how to approach these conversations

Example 1

Jodie Hill has a video about how she asks for reasonable adjustments at work as someone with ADHD. Below are some points she makes in the video:

1. What do you need, time-wise? Working from home? Different hours?
2. What do you need, in terms of space? And in location and how you get to work?
3. What changes could be made, when it comes to light and noise, to help you work better?
4. You are entitled to adjustments as someone with ADHD (classified as a disability, and therefore supported under the Equality Act 2010), as long as they are reasonable. This means you can still do your job as required, and others are not put in harms way.
5. Show them why making these adjustments will benefit others as well as you

If they refuse the adjustments, you can raise a grievance, starting with HR.

Example 2

Megan Griffith shows you how to come prepared to the meeting if you need to adjust according to a neurodiversity.

If you go into the meeting unsure about what you need, it is less likely you will get the support you are entitled to. Consider the following:

1. When and how you disclose your disability:

When:

• If during the interview, they can be prepared to support you. In some cases, they could find issue with the disability.
• After the interview, you can consult with HR and explain how it affects your work. In this case, there is a chance they feel unprepared to support you, if they didn’t know beforehand.

How:

• Sound confident. This isn’t about diagnosis, this about how your disability might affect your work.
• Be positive and factual about your condition, and also honest about the challenges it can present (Megan argues that, if you make it sound like there are no problems, then you won’t need adjustments).
• You can share your anxiety and that this takes courage to talk about.
• The language you use is important, about what your disability is and what it means. You may need documentation to prove your disability to justify your needs.

2. The Americans with Disabilities Act suggest you ask yourself the following three questions:

• What limitations are you experiencing?
• How do these limitations affect your job performance?
• What job tasks are problematic because of these limitations?
• Do supervisors or teammates need training about these limitations or your disability?

3. List the accommodations you’d like to receive

Example 3

This video is a role-play example of how someone asks for adjustments. The first scene shows when the initial conversation with a manager can be challenging, and the second scene shows how advice can help. The third scene shows a negotiation with the manager and HR.

Here is an example of how you can approach the conversation:

• Describe the condition
• What it allows you to do
• What its limitations are
• What adjustments you need
• How it will benefit others

For a condition that means energy is limited you can express the following:

“I’d like to request a meeting about reasonable adjustments. I live with a condition that affects my energy levels at certain times of the day, and it would be helpful if I can arrange the nature of work at different times of the day. I am able to focus best in the afternoons, and I am better able to engage in new information at that time. As a result, please can we arrange for me to attend meetings in the afternoon, rather than the morning? I will be able to perform solo, discreet tasks such as writing and emails in the morning, and collaborative tasks in the afternoon. This would further benefit the team because they would manage their expectations of me in the morning and know to contact me in the afternoons.”

For a condition that has physical requirements:

“Please can we consider adjusting my personal workspace? I have a disability which means I use mobility aids, and trying to get to my desk on time is currently a challenge. I cannot use the stairs, and the lift is often out of order or busy, so could I please have a desk on the ground floor? It will be much more accessible to me in the mornings, and it is also closer to the toilets for breaks during the day. My condition means I am often in physical discomfort, so it can be hard to focus on certain tasks: could I please request a workspace assessment to check the ergonomics of my workspace? If I have a chair and desk at an appropriate height, I will be able to be more productive as I will be more comfortable.”

What are reasonable adjustments?

Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 advices that adjustments must be made to remove or reduce if someone with disabilities is put at a disadvantage, compared to that of someone who does not have disabilities.

If the employer is aware of someone’s disability, they must make adjustments to accommodate the needs for:

• employees and workers
• contractors and self-employed people
• job applicants

This is why it is important to disclose your needs if you have them.

Adjustments that you can ask for include the following:

Physical workplace

If you use mobility aids or have limited mobility or energy due to a disability, you are entitled to have your workspace adjusted to better support you at work.

• Request a workspace that is accessible
  • on an accessible floor
  • near the bathrooms
• Request equipment that can support you. A workspace assessment can be carried out to better suit physical needs at home or at work, such as:
  • more space
  • a different screen, mouse or keyboard
  • a different chair or desk
  • adjust the lighting near the workspace
• Adjust the numbers of days working from home if it is easier
• If asked to attend a new venue, ask for the accessibility support there
• Ask for support in travelling to workplace
• Accessible parking space

Working arrangement

Some working arrangement – such as hours and working practices – have not been designed in a way that considers all needs, and adjustments can be requested.

• Adjust the hours to better suit mental capacity
• Spreading the hours across the week
• Adjust break times
• Adjust responsibilities or a different part of the role
• Adjustments to absence
  • Time off for medical appointments
  • asking employer to implement a Disability Leave policy, instead of using annual leave or sick leave when absent due to the individual’s condition
  • asking for a phased return to work after absence – this reduces hours and adjusts responsibilities over an agreed time, to support getting back into work safely and sustainably

Meetings, training and workshops

Working with others can be challenging, in both mental and physical ways, so adjustments can be made that can support collaboration for everyone.

• Provide slides and agenda ahead of time
• Subtitles during the meeting
• Having a transcript of the meeting
• Holding them online
• Accessible fonts and language in the presentation
• Limited lengths of time, with plenty of breaks
• Adjust training to better suit learning needs

Equipment, services or support

There are a number of physical and mental ways that the work environment can provide challenges, and the employer must provide what they can to support you to stay in work.

• Request support in prioritising tasks and scheduling
• Request communication support, such as a BSL interpreter or screen reader
• Request an Access to Work assessment to help stay in work:
  • For physical needs at work
  • For mental health support needs, it can create a tailored plan or provide a mental health professional
  • Communication supports for job interviews – such as those who may need a BSL interpreter, or adjustments for a mental health condition, or learning difficulty

The employer must work with the individual to provide unique support, and not make assumptions or use the same plan as someone else, and it can relate to any aspect of work.

What counts as ‘reasonable’?

Each case is different, and the employer must consider the impact of the adjustment made:

• How will they remove or reduce the disadvantage? – the employer must talk with the person and not make assumptions
• Is it practical to make?
• Is it affordable?
• Could it harm the health and safety of others?

The adjustment must support the nature of the current job, rather than change it. For example, if you are part of a sales team and have a physical disability that limits your travel, request to meet clients online instead of in person.

How do I ask for reasonable adjustments to do my job?

Sometimes it can be hard to know what help we need, and your employer is responsible for working with you to create an environment that supports you to perform at your best. Reasonable adjustments can be discussed with your manager and HR, and you can trial some solutions over time, adjusting as you go, to best support you and the team.

There are several ways to make a request:

• In writing, by email or letter
  • Citizens Advice have some examples of letters to help get started
• Request a meeting with your manager, employer or HR

It can help to be a positive, factual request, and that you are looking to collaborate with your employer to find the best solution. If you have a more distant relationship with your employer, pursuing a more formal approach can help show that they are legally obliged to make adjustments for you.

In both cases, here is some guidance and advice:

1. Explain your disability, and the challenges that you are currently facing
   • Say what disability, and that it comes under the definition of the Equality Act 2010
   • Describe how your disability affects your behaviour or your needs
   • Explain what you disability is long-term, and this will be a long-term solution
2. Explain why you need adjustments
   • Identify the barrier, e.g. meetings are always in the office
   • Explain how it is making things difficult, e.g. it requires a challenging journey into the office each time
3. Explain how you are disadvantaged without the adjustments
   • The employer may not be aware of the barriers if they do not share your needs, so help them to understand
   • The impact may be physical, mental, emotional or financial, and can mean you cannot do your job for the long-term