UK Equality Act 2010: Disability Employment Rights
Overview
The Equality Act 2010 reformed and harmonised equality law in Great Britain, restating most of the previous discrimination legislation in a single Act. It provides protection for disabled people in the workplace.
Definition of Disability
Under the Act, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a:
- Substantial and adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities
- Long-term effect — it has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months (or for the rest of the person's life)
Employer Obligations
1. Duty to Make Reasonable Adjustments
Employers must take reasonable steps to avoid the substantial disadvantage a disabled person would otherwise face:
- Changing a provision, criterion or practice
- Dealing with physical features of the workplace
- Providing auxiliary aids
2. Types of Discrimination Prohibited
- Direct discrimination: Treating someone less favourably because of disability
- Indirect discrimination: Applying a provision, criterion or practice that puts disabled people at a particular disadvantage and cannot be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
- Harassment: Unwanted conduct related to disability that violates someone's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment
- Victimisation: Subjecting someone to a detriment because they made a complaint or did another protected act
Reasonable Adjustments Examples
| Barrier | Possible Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Inaccessible premises | Install ramps, accessible toilets |
| Standard working hours | Flexible scheduling |
| Written communications | Provide in accessible formats |
| Interview process | Allow extra time, alternative formats |
Access to Work Scheme
The UK government provides grants through Access to Work to help cover costs of:
- Specialist equipment and assistive software
- Support workers (such as a BSL interpreter or job coach)
- Travel to work if you cannot use public transport
- Physical changes to the workplace
Maximum grant: Up to £69,260 per year (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027)
Enforcement
Claims to an Employment Tribunal must be brought within 3 months starting with the date of the act complained of, unless the tribunal considers a longer period just and equitable.
Resources
- ACAS Disability Discrimination: acas.org.uk
- Gov.uk Access to Work: gov.uk/access-to-work
- Disability Rights UK: disabilityrightsuk.org