Reasonable Adjustments

As part of the Disability Discrimination Act, employers are required to make “reasonable adjustments” to enable disabled employees to undertake their duties effectively in the workplace.
The duty to make reasonable adjustment applies where any “physical feature” of the workplace or any “arrangements” made by or on the behalf of the employer substantially disadvantage a disabled person compared to a non-disabled person. The employer has to take such steps as it is reasonable for him to take, in all the circumstances, to prevent that disadvantage.

For example, some which might be relevant to dyslexic individuals include:

• Making adjustments to premises, e.g. screening or providing individual rooms
• Modifying information, instructions or reference manuals, e.g. changing the font, font size, and paper colour
• Acquiring special equipment or modifying existing equipment, e.g. assistive hardware and software products
• Supplying additional training, e.g. dyslexia support sessions and/or training on specific software and equipment
• Modifying procedures, including those for testing and assessment
• Providing a reader, writer or clerical and administrative support
  

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Access to Work: Government funding for disabled people in the workplace

Access to Work (AtW) is a government-funded grant aimed at making meaningful reasonable adjustments in the workplace for disabled people. If the grant is applied for within the first six weeks of employment, the government, via Job Centre Plus, may provide a grant.

If AtW is applied for after the first six weeks of employment, payment will reflect the size of the organisation. A relatively small organisation may only be required to pay 10% of the overall bill for the reasonable adjustment. (A large organisation or a government department may not be eligible for the grant in full). Following an application to the Job Centre Plus Disability Officer, a specialist Assessor will meet with the individual employee and make an assessment of need. A report of this assessment is then sent to the employer and employee.

The grant will not provide those items considered “business” items such as computers. Items which can qualify for the grant and might be relevant for a dyslexic person include:

• Specialist gadgets and software, e.g. digital recorder or telephone recorder
• Specialist training in hardware and software
• Dyslexia specialist session to address some organisational difficulties
• Provision of screening within open-plan offices

Above information taken from various sources including Dyslexic.com website

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West Cumbria Dyslexia Association: Contact Doris Pearce 07863 329747

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