HOW TO...MAKE REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS FOR DISABILITY

EQUALITY ACT 2010
Reasonable Adjustments Assessment Chart (Notes 1, 2, 3)
Possible Adjustment / Extent Step Effective
(Notes 4, 5) / Extent Step Practicable
(Note 6) / Financial & Other Costs & Disruption
(Notes 7, 8 9, 10) / Extent of Resources
(Notes 11, 12) / Availability of Other Assistance
(Notes 13, 14) / Type & Size of Employer
(Note 15) / Extent Employee is Willing to Co-Operate (Note 16)
WITHIN TEAM
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WITHIN BRANCH OR OFFICE
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ACROSS BRANCHES OR OFFICES
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ANOTHER PART OF ORGANISATION
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ANOTHER ROLE
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Chart to Assess Reasonableness of Possible Adjustments

Guidance Notes

  1. It will be reasonable to make a combination of adjustments.
  2. The fact that other Employees (without a medical condition) would like the benefit of an adjustment is not relevant (legally) to the reasonableness of an adjustment for an Employee with a medical condition.
  3. If you make an adjustment that goes beyond the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 i.e. it is more than what it would be reasonable for you to do, this does not necessarily mean you have to provide a similar adjustment for other Employees with a similar medical condition.
  4. Consider the effectiveness and practicability of a particular adjustmentfirst before moving on to the other criteria.
  5. Consider the extent to which the adjustment benefits the Employee, e.g. would the adjustment enable the Employee to carry out his/her existing duties (even if some minor duties have to be reallocated)? If so, then it is likely to be reasonable to make that adjustment.
  6. How easy would it be to implement the adjustment? e.g. if an adjustment involved significant alterations to the procedures used such that there had to be a complete revision of the way work is done in an area, this may be too impracticable to be considered reasonable.
  7. If an adjustment costs little or nothing it is very likely to be reasonable unless some other factor (such as its practicability) makes it unreasonable. Other costs to be taken into account include staff and other resource costs.
  8. Consider the relative cost of the adjustment against what you might have to spend if the Employee does not return to his/her existing duties, e.g. it would be reasonable to spend at least as much on an adjustment to enable the retention of an Employee (including any retraining) as might be spent on recruiting and training a replacement.
  9. If an Employee has particular experience and expertise it is more likely to be reasonable to make an adjustment to retain them than an employee with less service and fewer skills and knowledge.
  10. Consider the extent to which an adjustment will cause operational disruption: the greater the operational disruption, the less likely the adjustment will be considered reasonable.
  11. The financial situation of the organisation is relevant to an assessment of whether an adjustment is reasonable. Consider:
  • the total resources available in reality as a whole;
  • other calls on those resources, such as adjustments made for other Employees.
  1. Each case depends on its own circumstances, but it will generally be reasonable to make significant efforts to:
  • reallocate minor or subsidiary duties;
  • identify a suitable alternative post;
  • provide additional supervision.
  1. Always consider the availability of outside help, especially in assessing the reasonableness of the cost of adjustments. Access to Work funding may be available regardless of the size of the employer.
  2. Always contact the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) through your local Employment Service. Ask about the scope for:
  • the DEA to become involved;
  • Access to Work assessments to take place; and
  • financial assistance for making adjustments.
  • Also make enquiries of any organisation which deals with the Employee's specific condition e.g. British Dyslexia Association ( British Epilepsy Association (
  1. The Employee is not required to contribute to the cost of an adjustment, although if he/she has a particular piece of special or adapted equipment which they are prepared to use for work this may make an adjustment reasonable.
  2. A large employer is highly unlikely to be able to argue that the nature of its activities or its size will limit the assessment of what is reasonable. A Tribunal will assume it has significant resources and scope to redeploy employees unless there is good evidence to the contrary.
  3. If an Employee refuses to co-operate with an adjustment which is otherwise reasonable and there are no other reasonable adjustments, the employer will have complied with its obligation to make reasonable adjustments. Save that caution will need to be exercised in circumstances in which the refusal to cooperate is a manifestation of the disability itself.

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