Reasonable Adjustment's

Learning Disabilities Week continues and I want to talk about support that employers can give to employees with learning difficulties. It isn't a one shoe fits all approach though. Don't make assumptions about what the employee needs. Each individual will have different difficulties and these need to be identified and bespoke reasonable adjustments implemented.

In many situations the best solution comes from a discussion between the individual to understand the issues that they face. Sometimes it's valuable to have assistance in the form of expert advice, such as a diagnostic assessment for Dyslexia.

Not all changes need to be big! Small changes such as a quiet working space or noise cancelling headphone could make a marked improvement on someone’s ability to do their job.

Other small changes could include:

• Changing the background colour of screen to suit individual preference
• Communicating instructions slowly and clearly and minimise distractions, and check understanding
• Offering the use of a digital recorder to record important instructions
• Identifying tools which could assist in time management
• Where feasible allow an employee to work from home occasionally

It is important that the manager understands the employees learning difficulties and ways in which they need to work to perform in their role. Once adjustments have been implemented, review them regularly to see if they are working or need adjusting.

For further advice, please give me a call.