Being treated equally does not mean being treated the same.

Under the Equality Act 2010, you have a legal right to be treated equally with your disability, which means that you are entitled to reasonable adjustments, to put you on a level playing field with non-disabled colleagues.

A reasonable adjustment is anything that your employer can do to make things easier for you at work. It’s a legal requirement for your employer to do, so long as it is something reasonable for them to put in place, to allow you to continue your role.

I’ve been very lucky to have a previous manager who ensured that, with my trigeminal neuralgia being triggered by a breeze, I was not in the direct line of an air-conditioning unit and that windows near my desk weren’t allowed to be opened, which made temperature controlling my desk a lot easier, allowing me to be able to work in a slightly more comfortable environment.

Reasonable adjustments could include:

• Working from home if possible within your role
• Making your desk suitable for you
• Giving you additional breaks
• Allowing you work a later shift if your medication affects you in a morning

To request a reasonable adjustment, you can speak with your manager, or you can request directly to be referred to occupational health. Your HR team will be able to advise further on how this works at your company.

It is important to remember that reasonable adjustments are very specific to you as an individual. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing that your employer can put in place. It’s about what will work best for your specific needs in order to keep you in work, and able to work. Your needs may also change over time, so you may need to request changes to adjustments in the future.

ACAS lay out more information on their website about requesting reasonable adjustments, which you can access by clicking here.

You have the right to work without discrimination.

If you are denied what you consider to be a reasonable adjustment, you can contact ACAS to discuss this with a team who can provide advice on what you can do next.

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