Need Disability Changes at Work?

The reasonable adjustments you can ask for

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Summary

If you have a disability, your employer must make reasonable adjustments to remove disadvantages you face.
Adjustments can cover hours, equipment, duties, where you work and how you are managed.
Your employer pays for them. You cannot be charged.
Failing to make them is disability discrimination, with no minimum length of service.

Living with a disability or long-term health condition is hard enough, without your job making it harder. The right changes at work can make all the difference.

The law says your employer must make them, if they're reasonable. Here's what you can ask for, and what to do if your employer drags its feet.

What are reasonable adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments are changes your employer must make so that a disability doesn't put you at a substantial disadvantage at work, meaning more than a minor or trivial ‘tweak’.

The duty comes from the Equality Act 2010. It covers the way things are done, physical features of the workplace, and any necessary extra equipment or support.

Your employer pays. It can't charge you for an adjustment or cut your pay to cover it.

Who has the right to reasonable adjustments?

You need to have a disability in law: that’s a physical or mental condition with a substantial, long-term effect on your normal daily activities. ‘Long-term’ means it has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months.

That can include conditions such as diabetes, depression, ADHD, autism, long COVID or arthritis. Cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis count from the date they are diagnosed.

Your employer must know, or reasonably be expected to know, about your disability. Telling them in writing removes any doubt.

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Do I Have a Case?

Examples of reasonable adjustments at work

changing your hours, or allowing a phased return after sickness
working from home some or all of the time
special equipment, software or a different kind of chair or desk
moving some tasks to colleagues
extra breaks, or time off for treatment
discounting disability-related absence from sickness triggers
written instructions, or a quieter place to work.

The government's Access to Work scheme can also pay for some support, such as equipment or a support worker, which makes more adjustments reasonable for your employer.

How to ask for reasonable adjustments

1. Put it in writing. Explain your condition, how it affects your work and the reasonable adjustments you think would help.

2. Back it up. A letter from your GP or consultant, or an occupational health report, can help.

3. Be specific. Say what you need and why. Suggest a trial period if your employer is unsure.

4. Keep a record. Note every conversation and follow it up by email.

If your employer says no

Your employer can only refuse an adjustment if it isn't reasonable. That depends on how much it would help, the cost, how practical it is and the employer's size and resources.

If you think the refusal is wrong, ask for the reasons in writing, then raise a formal grievance.

Failing to make reasonable adjustments is a form of disability discrimination. You can claim from your first day in the job.

Watch the deadline. For things that happen on or after 1st October 2026, you have six months less one day to start Acas early conciliation. With a refusal, the clock can start earlier than you think, so act quickly.

Struggling with your mental health? See mental health adjustments at work.

How Grapple Law can help

Grapple Law is a legal AI. It helps you work out whether your condition counts as a disability, and which reasonable adjustments to ask for.

It can then help you write your request, challenge a refusal and, where it makes sense, negotiate a settlement.

Using Grapple Law is free to start, with a choice of legal services at a fraction of the cost of a traditional solicitor.

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Frequently asked questions about reasonable adjustments

How long does an employer have to make reasonable adjustments?

There's no fixed time limit. Your employer must act within a reasonable time, which depends on the adjustment. A new chair, for example, should take days, not months.

If nothing is happening, chase it up in writing and set a date for a reply.

Is working from home a reasonable adjustment?

It can be, if your disability makes travelling or the office harder, and the job can be done from home. Your employer must consider it properly, not just apply a blanket office rule.

What reasonable adjustments can I ask for with ADHD?

Common ones include noise-cancelling headphones, a quieter desk, written task lists, regular check-ins, flexible deadlines and reminder software.

Can I be dismissed because of my disability?

Not if the dismissal is linked to your disability, unless your employer can justify it, and reasonable adjustments have been tried first.

A dismissal linked to disability can be discrimination, whatever your length of service.