Finding out if a workplace is accessible

You can ask about accessibility at any time, including: 

• before you apply for the job 
• when you submit your application 
• if they offer you an interview 
• if they offer you the job 

It might be helpful to tell the employer you're disabled when you apply for the job. It could help you ask for adjustments to the application or interview. But you do not have to. You decide if and when you tell them. 

Disclosing disability to an employer

Sometimes there are contact details on the job advert. You can contact this person to ask them anything about the job before you apply. 

It is also OK if you're not ready to tell the hiring manager you're disabled. 

If it's a big organisation, look for contact details on the website. You could ask to speak to someone in: 

• the HR department 
• diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)  
• equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) 
• a disabled staff network 

What to find out 

It can be helpful to find out what a typical day might be like in the job. This will help you to think about what you might need to do. 

It's OK if you do not know what you need. You're the expert on your condition. But you might not know all the equipment and technology that can help you. 

Finding the right equipment and assistive technology

Think about what would make the job easier to do. You could ask about the most important things before you apply. And you could ask other questions if you get the job.  

You might find some of these questions useful to think about. 

• Is there step-free access across the whole building? 
• Is there accessible public transport? 
• Are there accessible toilets? 
• Are the fridge and kettle at the right height for you to prepare food? 
• Are there induction loops in meeting spaces?

If you do not want to ask the employer directly, there are other ways to find out. You could look on their website. They might have a section on accessing the building. Search for words like: 

• accessibility  
• visit us 
• getting here 

Visiting the workplace 

You could visit a public workplace, like a shop, library or café. 

You do not need to tell the staff you're thinking of applying for a job there. But you could still ask them questions about accessibility in the building. For example, you could ask: 

• to use the toilets 
• about parking 
• where the nearest bus or train stop is 

Plan a journey 

If it's not a public workplace, you might not be able to go inside the building. But you could still go there to see what the journey is like for you. 

When you get there, you could see if the entrance to the building looks accessible to you. 

If you cannot make the journey, you could look on Google Maps or another map app. This will give you an idea of how long the journey will take. And if there's public transport you can use to get there. 

Planning your journey 

The Equality Act 2010 means that employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

If you find some things harder at work because you are disabled, reasonable adjustments could be:

• flexible working
• adapted equipment, such as chairs, keyboards or voice recognition software
• taxis to work
• British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters at work

There is no set definition of what is ‘reasonable’. It depends on the job, the employer and your condition.

Access to Work grants can pay for specialist assessments. An assessment can help to work out what is reasonable in your situation.

Reasonable adjustments at work

If your employer does not agree to reasonable adjustments, this could be disability discrimination at work.

Disability discrimination at work