Disability support

For students

Please see linked information on Support for Students: Reasonable Adjustments

As an employee what should I do?

Telling us that you have a disability is particularly important if you might need any adjustments to carry out your job. It will be very difficult, and in many cases impossible, for the University to provide these if you do not tell us. You could also seek support directly, yourself, from the government scheme Access to Work (see information below).

Your manager

If you feel at all able to do so you should talk to your line manager or supervisor if you have a disability-related issue or question.

Managers have a responsibility for your well-being as well as ensuring you have access to the full range of opportunities that go with your job. You should discuss with your manager any impact your impairment has on your work, and what adjustments you might need to do your job now and in the future. Once they are aware of the issues, they can seek advice on how to best assist you, or refer you to other services and individuals who can provide further advice and assistance if necessary.

Your HR advisor

Whilst we would encourage you to talk through any concerns with your line manager, there may be occasions when you might prefer to speak to your HR Advisor. However, in order for us to provide you with the appropriate support, it is very likely that your manager will become involved eventually. Similarly, even if you approach your manager first, your HR Advisor is likely to become involved if a reasonable adjustment needs to be considered.

Everything discussed with your manager and HR Advisor will be treated sensitively in line with UK data protection legislation. However, once you declare a disability, in order to fulfil the University's responsibilities and support you appropriately, your manager and HR Advisor will need to actively consider how to respond to your circumstances.

In order to determine which HR Advisor or HR Manager is responsible for your area please look at the Intranet Meet the Team page (staff only) and follow the link to areas of responsibility.

Support available

Support is available in the form of reasonable adjustments.

You should discuss with your manager and HR Advisor any reasonable adjustments you might require. In particular, you will need to discuss any physical adjustments to your workplace or adjustment to your working routine or duties.

Examples of reasonable adjustments include, but are not limited to:

• Specific equipment i.e. chair, ergonomic keyboard
• Adaptations to the physical working environment and existing equipment;
• Additional training;
• A support worker;
• Flexible working.

Other external support organisations

If you are a trade union member, you can contact a union representative at any stage to discuss disability-related issues regarding your employment at the University.

External organisations with specialist knowledge, such as the RNIB, Action on Hearing or other local disability groups, can also be consulted for advice should the need arise.

Access to Work is a government scheme that funds practical support to assist individuals who have a disability or a long-term health condition (physical or mental) to stay within work. The support available to individuals will depend on their specific circumstances. 

Access to Work can also provide advice and guidance to the University to assist with discussions regarding support and adjustments, and they will provide recommendations which are tailored to the individual’s specific needs and their circumstances.  Access to Work will seek permission from the individual before sharing any information with the University. As the employer, the University may contribute to the costs of any agreed support.

Further information is available on the government's Access to Work webpages. 

Individuals can apply to Access to Work if they: 

• live and work (or be about to start or return to work) in England, Scotland, or Wales, 
• have a disability or long-term health condition that means they need an aid, adaptation or financial or human support to do their job (long term means lasting or likely to last for at least 12 months), 
• have a mental health condition and need support in work. 

 Individuals must also be either: 

• already doing paid work, 
• be about to start work, 
• have an interview for a job, 

For full details of the scheme please see the Access to Work Factsheet (employee guide) or you can watch the Access to Work: factsheet for customers BSL videos.

Access to Work can help pay for support that individuals may need because of their disability or long-term health condition. There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant (although there is a maximum per year). The grant amount depends on the specific case and can cover the support needed for an individual to get work or to stay in work. For example:  

• aid and equipment in the workplace 
• adapting equipment to make it easier to use 
• money towards any extra travel costs to and from work if the available public transport cannot be used, or if vehicles need adapting 
• an interpreter or other support at a job interview where the individual has difficulty communicating 
• other practical help at work, such as a job coach or a note taker or lip speaker 

If an individual has a mental health condition (diagnosed or undiagnosed), that is impacting on their ability to remain in work or they require support to do their job, Access to Work can offer assistance to develop a support plan.  

Alongside a tailored plan to help individuals get or stay in work, one-to-one sessions with a mental health professional may also be available.  Further information regarding access to these services can be found at Access to Work.  

Part of the support plan may be to involve the University to ensure that appropriate support can be provided at work, however Access to Work will discuss this with the individual prior to sharing any information.  

Staff can also access the University’s Health & Wellbeing resources for support.

Applications to Access to Work are employee-led and can be made in a variety of ways: 

• Online: Individuals can complete their application online, which is typically the quickest and easiest way to apply. 
• By phone: Applications can also be made by calling the Access to Work helpline

Full details of how to apply, including all relevant links, contact numbers, and methods, can be found at Access to Work/apply Further information can be found at Apply for an Access to Work grant

Following an application to Access to Work, an adviser will contact the individual to discuss their application further and arrange for a workplace assessment to take place.  A tailored package of support, where applicable, will be developed and a report will be provided to the individual. 

Access to work will provide relevant information to the University regarding the recommendations they make, as well as confirmation of whether or not the recommendations are in scope for Access to Work (e.g. for grant funding).

Further information can be found at Access to Work - After you apply. 

University Employees can access additional information and guidance (for individuals and managers) linked here.

For individuals who wish to discuss this process prior to their employment start date, they should contact the HR Co-ordinator detailed on their offer letter.

The University is proud of its ‘Disability Confident’ award and is committed to ensuring that all employees are supported to reach their full potential. As part of this commitment the Human Resources team will contact all staff, on an annual basis, who have declared they have a disability on their personal record. The purpose of this is to offer a disability support meeting to discuss their disability or condition, and to review or consider any support or adjustments.

Staff can access accessible digital services through the IDS Intranet homepage (internal) to discuss their specific requirements and to view details of assistive technology available. Individuals who wish to discuss assistive technology prior to their employment start date, should contact the HR Co-ordinator detailed on their offer letter.

Keele has maps in a number of formats and accessibility information provided by AccessAble. General information on how to travel to Keele and maps can be found from our "Find Us" webpage. 

The Occupational Health Service is able to provide support on health and well-being matters and the Department of Health and Safety is able to provide advice on your work environment including accessibility. 

In some circumstances, it may be necessary to think about any particular safety implications. For example, if you are likely to encounter any difficulties with fire evacuation, including hearing a fire alarm, completion of a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) may be necessary. The Occupational Health Service will work with you to identify requirements and the Department of Health and Safety will develop your PEEP with you. 

A PEEP may also be needed for staff who do not have a disability but have a more temporary impairment e.g. a reduction in mobility following an accident.

Keele also has General Emergency Evacuation Plans (GEEPs). These may be useful to visitors to the University or for staff and students to familiarise themselves with floor plans and evacuation routes. 

If you need more information or advice about health, wellbeing and/or safety issues, you can also talk to your line manager or HR Advisor, as well as contacting the relevant departments directly. For individuals who wish to discuss concerns prior to their employment start date, they should contact the HR Co-ordinator detailed on their offer letter.