UK Reasonable Adjustments 2026 — Equality Act, Examples, Access to Work

Reviewed by Alex Morgan · Updated April 2026 · Equality Act 2010 (as amended)

The 3 types of reasonable adjustment

10 common reasonable adjustments

• Flexible / reduced hours — late starts, condensed days, working hours that match medication schedules.
• Working from home or hybrid — particularly for chronic conditions, mental health, immunocompromised workers.
• Ergonomic equipment — sit-stand desk, ergonomic chair, vertical mouse, supportive footrest.
• Adjusted duties — removing/redistributing specific tasks made difficult by the disability.
• Specialist software — Dragon Naturally Speaking (voice recognition), Read & Write Gold (dyslexia), JAWS / NVDA (screen readers).
• Quiet workspace — away from open-plan noise; private office or pod for sensory or anxiety needs.
• Phased return after long-term absence — staged increase in hours/duties over 4-12 weeks.
• Time off for medical appointments — without using annual leave or losing pay.
• Job redesign or redeployment — reshaping the role or moving to a different one if current cannot be adjusted.
• Mentor / job coach — funded via Access to Work for autistic, neurodivergent, or learning-disabled workers.

The "reasonable" test — what tribunals actually weigh

1. Effectiveness — would the adjustment actually remove or reduce the disadvantage?
2. Practicability — can the employer realistically make it? (technical, logistical, organisational)
3. Cost relative to employer size — large employers face significantly higher expectations than micro-businesses. A FTSE 100 employer claiming £500 ergonomic equipment is "too expensive" will lose at tribunal.
4. Available financial assistance — Access to Work funding (£69,260/year cap) shifts cost off the employer for many adjustments.
5. Disruption to other employees / business operations — must be material, not just inconvenient.
6. Duration / nature — temporary adjustments (post-surgery recovery) are generally easier to defend as reasonable.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice on Employment is the authoritative source on "reasonableness" — tribunals routinely cite specific paragraphs. Worth reading for serious disputes.

Access to Work — the funding lifeline

Access to Work (AtW) is a DWP grant scheme that funds reasonable adjustments. 2026/27 details:

• Annual cap: £69,260 per person (uplifted from £66,000 in 2025/26).
• What it funds: specialist equipment, software, communication support (BSL interpreters), support workers, taxi/transport costs to work, mental health support packages (Mental Health Support Service: 9 sessions per year of CBT-style support, free).
• Employer cost share: micro businesses (under 50 employees) pay £0 — AtW funds 100%. Larger employers: AtW pays nothing for the first £1,000 of adjustments per year, then 80% of costs above £1,000 up to the cap.
• How to apply: gov.uk → "Access to Work" → online form. You apply, not your employer (though you'll need their consent and details).
• Processing time: 8-12 weeks average in 2026, 4-6 weeks for expedited "new job" applications.
• Renewable annually — typically 1- to 3-year awards depending on condition stability.

Disclosing your disability — the strategic question

Two distinct moments matter:

• Pre-offer (job application stage): Under s.60 Equality Act 2010, employers cannot ask health or disability questions before making a job offer (with limited exceptions: necessary for the role, monitoring purposes only, positive action). You don't have to disclose. Voluntary tick-boxes for "do you consider yourself to have a disability?" should be strictly anonymous monitoring.
• Post-offer / employment: To trigger the duty to make adjustments, the employer must KNOW or REASONABLY have known about the disability. Best practice: disclose in writing, ideally with Occupational Health or GP support, specifying the disadvantage and proposed adjustment. The employer's duty kicks in from that point.

Tactical reality: you can't sue for failure-to-adjust if you never disclosed. But disclosure is a personal choice — many disabled workers don't disclose and never need adjustments, or quietly use Access to Work without telling colleagues. If your work performance is suffering or you need an adjustment, formal written disclosure is the necessary first step.

If your employer refuses

1. Document the request in writing. Email or formal letter. Specify the adjustment, the disadvantage, evidence of disability (OH report or GP letter strengthens significantly).
2. Engage Occupational Health if the employer offers it — OH reports give the employer "reasonable knowledge" formally and recommend specific adjustments. Highly persuasive at tribunal.
3. Apply for Access to Work in parallel — funding the adjustment makes refusal much harder for employer.
4. Raise a formal grievance following Acas Code of Practice. Cite the EA 2010 duty.
5. If still refused: bring an Employment Tribunal claim for failure to make reasonable adjustments. 3-month time limit. No qualifying period (day-1 right). Compensation uncapped — actual loss + injury to feelings (Vento) + ongoing detriment.
6. Settlement leverage: most cases settle once tribunal claim is filed. Failure-to-adjust + day-1 unfair dismissal (autumn 2026) gives strong negotiating position. See our settlement agreement guide.

Tribunal compensation and Vento bands

Pair this with

• → UK Disability Rights at Work — 15 guides
• → UK Personal Independence Payment 2026/27
• → UK flexible working guide 2026
• → UK Statutory Sick Pay 2026
• → UK Constructive Dismissal 2026
• → UK Settlement Agreement 2026

Sources

1. Equality Act 2010 (sections 20-22, 60)
2. gov.uk — Access to Work
3. gov.uk — Reasonable adjustments for disabled workers
4. EHRC — Employment Statutory Code of Practice
5. Acas — Disability at work
6. Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2002] EWCA Civ 1871 — leading injury-to-feelings case