Disability Inclusion and Reasonable Adjustments at Work

The duty to make reasonable adjustments is one of the most practically important parts of UK disability law, and one of the most commonly misunderstood. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and job applicants where a provision, criterion or practice, or a physical feature of the workplace, puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to someone who is not disabled. It applies at every stage of employment, from recruitment through day-to-day working, promotion and dismissal, and it applies proactively, not only once someone raises a specific problem.

What "reasonable" actually means

"Reasonable" is not a fixed standard, and the law is deliberately built that way. Factors that affect whether an adjustment is reasonable include how effective it would be at removing the disadvantage, its cost relative to the size and resources of the employer, how practical it is to implement, and whether it would significantly disrupt other aspects of the business. A large, well-resourced employer is generally expected to go further than a very small one facing the same request, because cost and practicality are assessed relative to what the employer can actually bear. What is consistent across all of that is the direction of the test: the question is always whether the adjustment removes or reduces the substantial disadvantage the person faces, not whether it is the cheapest or most convenient option for the employer.

Common categories of adjustment

Adjustments tend to fall into a few broad categories, and most requests fit into more than one.

• Physical adjustments. Step-free access, accessible toilets, adjusted desk height, better lighting, or a change of workspace location.
• Procedural adjustments. Changes to how a process works rather than the physical environment, such as extra time in assessments or interviews, modified performance management timelines during a period of ill health, or changes to how instructions or feedback are delivered.
• Equipment adjustments. Assistive technology, ergonomic equipment, screen readers, or specialist software, often available through external support schemes as well as directly from the employer.
• Working-pattern adjustments. Flexible or reduced hours, remote or hybrid working, a phased return after absence, or changes to shift patterns.

Many of the adjustments that help disabled employees overlap with good practice covered elsewhere on this topic — see our guides to neurodiversity at work and menopause at work for adjustment categories specific to those situations.

An ongoing conversation, not a one-off assessment

One of the most common mistakes is treating reasonable adjustments as a single event: a form filled in once, an assessment done at the point someone starts a role or discloses a condition, then filed away. In practice, needs change. A condition can fluctuate, a role can change, and an adjustment that worked well a year ago may no longer be enough, or may no longer be needed in the same form. Employers who handle this well build in a habit of checking in periodically, rather than waiting for the employee to raise a problem again from scratch each time something is not working.

It is also worth remembering that the duty is on the employer to consider adjustments, not solely on the employee to ask for exactly the right one. Employees often do not know what is available or possible, and a manager who asks "what would help" and explores options together tends to land on a better and more durable adjustment than one who waits for a fully-formed request.

Common mistakes

A few patterns come up repeatedly. Employers sometimes wait for a formal written request before considering any adjustment, when the duty applies once the employer knows or could reasonably be expected to know about the disability and the disadvantage, not only once a specific request lands on a desk. Others make an adjustment once and never revisit it, missing changes in need over time. And some focus only on physical adjustments while overlooking procedural ones, such as adjusting deadlines or communication style, which are often just as important and cost nothing to implement. Structured CPD can help managers apply this consistently across a team — see our CPD courses for options.

FAQ

What happens if an employer refuses a reasonable adjustment?

If an adjustment is genuinely reasonable given the factors above and the employer fails to make it, that can amount to unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Whether a specific refusal is defensible depends heavily on the facts, since cost, practicality and effectiveness relative to the size of the employer all matter.

Does a small employer have to make the same adjustments as a large one?

Not necessarily to the same extent. Cost and practicality are assessed relative to the employer’s size and resources, so what is reasonable for a large organisation with significant resources may not be reasonable for a very small one facing an identical request, though many effective adjustments cost very little regardless of employer size.

Do employees have to disclose their exact diagnosis to get an adjustment?

No. What matters legally is the effect of the condition on day-to-day activities and the disadvantage it creates at work, not a specific diagnostic label. Employers can and should discuss what would help without requiring a full medical disclosure as a precondition.

How often should adjustments be reviewed?

There is no fixed legal interval, but treating it as a one-off rather than an ongoing conversation is one of the most common failure points. A periodic check-in, for example alongside regular one-to-ones or after any significant change in role or health, keeps adjustments genuinely fit for purpose.