What does 'reasonable adjustment' mean?

The Equality Act (formerly the Disability Discrimination Act) says employers have to make 'reasonable adjustments' to your working conditions. This obligation includes not just physical working conditions, but also contractual and non-contractual terms and policies, such as those relating to recruitment, discipline or sickness absence.

The Government's Code of Practice on the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) remains in force even though the DDA itself has been replaced by the Equality Act. It gives examples of 'reasonable adjustments' that employers will typically have to make. Typical adjustments made by employers include:

• Allowing the disabled person to be absent during working hours for rehabilitation, assessment or medical treatment.
• Acquiring or modifying equipment.
• Altering the disabled person's working hours.
• Transferring the disabled person to fill an existing vacancy.
• Adjustments to premises, such as improving access.
• Allocating some of the disabled person's duties to another person.
• Assigning the disabled person to a different place of work.
• Giving the disabled person training.
• Providing a reader or interpreter.
• Providing support workers.
• Modifying instructions and reference manuals.

There is now a specific obligation on the employer, under the Equality Act, to provide “auxiliary aids” to disabled staff. Although not defined, these are likely to include, for example, specialist computer software, a hearing loop or a specially designed chair.  Funding and advice is available to employers through the Access to Work scheme.