Whether you’ve lived with your disability your entire life or it is recently acquired, you know from day one that it is already impacting your life, and will continue to impact your life until the day you die. This may sound scary or disheartening at first. And when you think about the things that it can have an impact on, like your ability to access gainful employment, it may even make you feel depressed. But you needn’t feel that way. There are many resources and services in the United Kingdom to help you not only get a job, but also to stay safe when you are at work, to help your co-workers and managers cope with your disabilities, and to help you make the most efficient use of your time, skills, and energy on the job. If you didn’t realise that all of these services and assistances were available to you, now is the time to make the most of them and to make it possible for yourself to move on with your life and up the ladder…the corporate ladder, that is.

What Does the Equality Act 2010 Have to Do With Disabilities and Employment?

The Equality Act 2010 was developed and put into action in an effort to ensure that qualified individuals who happen to have a disability are not discriminated against by employers throughout the United Kingdom and the United Nations. The law was developed at the UN Convention in 2010 to help ensure that you are not discriminated against on application forms, during interviews or even the scheduling of interviews, tests for proficiencies and aptitude, on job offers, the terms of your employment, promotion and training opportunities, lay-offs or termination and when discipline is issued or you make a grievance. This law and all of its provisions for your protection from hiring until the day you decide to leave make certain that your employers afford you the same rights and equal treatment as other equally qualified individuals and that you are given the right tools to be efficient at your job. The Equality Act 2010 also helps you by requiring your employer to make reasonable accommodations for your disability in the workplace. If you are the most qualified candidate for a job and you receive a position your new employer is required to make efforts to ensure that you are not put at a disadvantage. This may include allowing you to work different hours so you can make it to work on time, or giving you special tools and equipment in order to do your job.

Other Employment Assistance You Can Get if You’re Disabled

The Equality Act 2010 is not the only help you can receive from the government if you live with a disability. If your disability makes it impossible for you to keep or obtain a job, you can apply for financial assistance from the government. And if you are disabled but want to work and are able, you can receive personal help, advice, and support to help you get a job and be successful. If you apply for an Employment and Support Allowance, or ESA, you’ll be given a Work Capability Assessment to help determine your ability to work so that your adviser can better assist you through the future. There are also services through the government and many non-profit organisations that will provide you with training to help you get the job you want, and help you find access to education to further your job opportunities and increase your quality of life.