Reasonable Accommodation Fund Review: Easy to Read

Sometimes, it may be harder for people to do things if they have a disability, health problem or mental health issue.

A reasonable accommodation is when we change the way we usually do things to make sure people with disabilities can do it too.

An example is flexible working arrangements that allow people to start and finish work at different times.

The Government of Ireland runs a Reasonable Accommodation Fund.

The Department of Social Protection gives out this Fund to employers, and to employees and jobseekers with disabilities.

The Fund gives money to help with the cost of reasonable accommodations at work.

The Reasonable Accommodation Fund is made up of four grants.

Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant

This grant gives money to employers.

The money helps pay for changes to make the workplace more accessible.

For example, adding an accessibility ramp or toilet, buying new equipment, or assistive technology training.

Job Interview Interpreter Grant

This grant gives money to a person with hearing loss or speech difficulties.

The money pays for an interpreter to interpret at a job interview.

The interpreter could also help with induction training when the person starts a new job.

Personal Reader Grant

This grant gives money to a person who is blind or visually impaired.

The money helps pay for a personal reader to help the person with reading at work.

Employee Retention Grant

This grant gives money to employers if a worker has become disabled while working for them.

The money is used to find out what reasonable accommodations or training are needed to support the worker to stay at work.

The government is looking at these grants to see if they can make them better.

The government wants people to get the support they need to work.

The government wants to find out what people think of these grants.

It wants to know what people like or don’t like about these grants.

It wants to know about people’s ideas to make these grants better.

You can tell us what you think by answering our survey or sending us a written submission.

A survey is a short set of questions where we ask you about the Reasonable Accommodation Fund.

A written submission is where you write to us to tell us your views about the Reasonable Accommodation Fund.

You can get in touch in one of four ways:

• 1. You can answer our Online Survey

Or, you can do it on paper.

Please download the survey and send it to us at the post or email addresses below.

• 2. You can call us on the phone to answer the survey on the Reasonable Accommodation Fund.

Please call on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10am and 12pm or 2pm and 4pm.

(This phone line is closed.)

It will cost the same as a local call.

• 3. You can post your written submission to:

RAF Review

Illness, Disability and Carers Policy Unit

Floor Four

Áras Mhic Dhiarmada

Store Street

Dublin 1, D01 WY03

• 4. You can email your written submission to:

IDCPolicyConsultation@welfare.ie

Please put “RAF Consultation” in the email subject line.

You must tell us what you think by 5pm on Friday 13 May.

The government will listen to what everyone has to say.

Then, the government will make changes to improve the grants.

This might mean new rules.

We will write a report using the information that people send.

The report will have lots of other information too.

If you answer a survey, you do not have to tell us your name.

We will not keep a record of who answers a survey.

If you send us a written submission by post or email, it could be published for people to see along with your name.

This is under a law called the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003.

You can see more information by reading our Privacy Statement on our website:

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