# 3.1 Reasonable adjustments for workers with disabilities

In the UK, employers must make reasonable adjustments to help workers with disabilities or health conditions do their jobs without disadvantage.

- Who does this apply to?
- This applies to all workers, including trainees, apprentices, contract workers, and business partners.
- What are adjustments?
- Adjustments are changes that make it easier for a dyslexic person to do their job – see below for an array of examples. These changes might not solve every problem, but they help reduce barriers at work.
- How do you get an adjustment?
- To get an adjustment, you might need a workplace needs assessment (as discussed in Section 2).

## What is ‘reasonable’?

Employers must do what is reasonable, which depends on various factors like practicality, resources, finances, size of the company, among others. The goal is to remove or reduce any disadvantage faced by a disabled worker (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2019). Additionally, there are charities that can help cover the costs of adjustments.

## Activity 2 Ben’s reasonable adjustments

Allow about 5 minutes

Ben (who you met earlier in Week 4) would like some adjustments to be made in his workplace. Which of the following should be considered reasonable?

Having any hard copies of documents printed on coloured paper
Being provided with a smartphone to take pictures and record his mentor
Having verbal instructions provided separately from written ones
Being provided with a curved 34” monitor screen
Having tasks broken down into smaller, manageable steps
Receiving regular feedback

Before continuing on with this next bit of information, you might find it helpful to look back over the three case studies in Week 4 and refresh the details in your mind.

There are three requirements formed by the duty of reasonable adjustments:

1. The first requirement is changing how things are done. In general, the Equality and Human Rights Commission monitors the need for policy updates, and changes to the way things are usually done. The culture of ‘we’ve always done it that way’ is fundamentally flawed. The Equality Act 2010 includes guidance on changing the way things are done. Look at whether there is a need to change some (written or unwritten) policies, established processes and ways of working, and consider how you could remove or reduce barriers that place a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage. For example, in the firm where Chandru used to work, the report containing unit type and size, location, electrical requirements, safety precautions, among other information was given the day before the installation. The employer agreed that the report should instead be provided 72 hours ahead, providing enough time to read and digest the information.
2. The second requirement is changing the built environment to avoid substantial disadvantage. For example, Ben is struggling to find the right balance between the theoretical and practical work during his apprenticeship. The theoretical part is imparted by videos, printed materials, and some talks in the middle of the office where there are many people coming in and out. As this is quite distracting, the secretary has moved the talks to the back of the building in a closed office.
3. The final requirement is providing auxiliary aids and services. The details will depend on the individual and the job they need to perform. For example, when Ben helps other workers to understand the 2D images, they have a 24” screen or printouts on white A4 paper. The master plumber requested a larger screen and for the 2D images to be printed in A3 and in colour.

## Good to know

Providing reasonable adjustments is an anticipatory duty. This means employers need to be proactive and they shouldn’t wait for problems to show up; they must try to prevent them before they happen (Public Health England, 2017).

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