 |
|
Making adjustments according to disability
The Department for Work and Pensions (www.dwp.gov.uk)
has developed a list of adjustments based on specific disabilities that you may
need to make to the workplace to accommodate an employee with a disability.
Although these guidelines are a starting point, it is always best to talk to your
employee to identify their individual needs in the same way you would for any
of your employees.
Visual impairments
If your employee has a visual impairment, you may have to provide a range of auxiliary
aids or services such as:
- readers
- documents in large or clear print, Moon or Braille
- information on computer diskette
- information on audiotape
- telephone services to supplement other forms of communication
- spoken announcements or verbal communication
- accessible websites
- assistance with guidance
- audiodescription services
- large print or tactile maps/plans or three-dimensional models
- touch facilities
Hearing impairments
If your employee has a hearing impairment, you may have to provide a range auxiliary
aids and services such as:
-
written information (leaflets and guides)
-
facilities for taking and exchanging written notes
-
verbatim speech-to-text transcription service
-
induction loop systems
-
subtitles
-
videos with sign language interpretation
-
information displayed on a computer screen
-
accessible websites
-
textphones, telephone amplifiers and inductive couplers
-
teletext displays
-
audio-visual telephones
-
audio-visual fire alarms
-
qualified sign language interpreters or lipspeakers
Mental health needs
For employees with mental health needs, the adjustment that suits one person may
not suit another person with apparently the same diagnosis.
The individual is often the best person to propose what is needed. You might provide
them with special adjustments such as:
-
room dividers, partitions, other soundproofings or visual barriers
-
occasional or permanent home-working
-
reducing noise in the work environment to help concentration
-
adapt working hours according to medications taken (e.g. some medications
can cause grogginess in the mornings)
-
allow paid time off for medical appointments
-
secure fellow workers' tolerance and understanding towards unusual behaviours
Dyslexia
For dyslexic employees, you should provide means to assist with verbal and written
communication, and time and work planning such as:
-
if difficulties are experienced with written communication, use verbal communication
as often as possible
-
allocate someone to read or to handwrite documents
-
use a tape recorder, drawings, diagrams and flow charts
-
proofread work
-
if difficulties are experienced with verbal communication, speak slowly
and clearly
-
write down what is essential and use a tape recorder to record important
instructions
-
make sure the workspace is quiet and away from distractions
-
allocate a private workspace if possible
-
help the employee to organise their work space and workflows
- remind the employee of appointments and deadlines
Progressive and fluctuating conditions
Progressive conditions are characterised by symptoms which tend to increase in
severity over time (e.g. cancer, HIV infection, multiple sclerosis), while the
symptoms of fluctuating conditions will come and go, often at random (e.g. back
pain and epilepsy).
Many of the adjustments required for employees with progressive and fluctuating
conditions are the same as those needed for employees with other types of disabilities.
It is your duty to adapt those adjustments according to the employee's individual
needs.
|
|
 |
|
