Operational Guidelines: Work and Access

Introduction

Work and Access aims to help reduce and remove barriers in the workplace that restrict employment choices for people with a disability, providing them with the same opportunity to succeed in work as their non-disabled peers.

The aim of Work and Access is to support disability-inclusive employment by offering funding to job candidates, employees, self-employed people, and employers to adjust their workplaces and make them more accessible. This will help to make sure employees of all abilities are given equal opportunities.

Work and Access amalgamates and replaces the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme, on foot of the recommendations review of the two schemes which was published in August 2023. Work and Access was established as a non-statutory scheme from 30 July 2024.

Employers are legally required to take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of employees and job applicants with disabilities. This includes looking at the possibility of obtaining public funding, or support grants to accommodate them. These are called reasonable accommodations. Funding provided under Work and Access will be treated as a grant. Some can involve no cost, for example flexible working hours or a quiet space to work. Others involve minor or at times more substantial costs. There is an exception to this legal requirement when an accommodation would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer. This is explained in Disability & Reasonable Accommodation - IHREC Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission.

Glossary of terms

Find below definitions of words used in this document. When these words are used in the document, they will have a link to these definitions.

Work Coach

A work coach is a person who provides specialist employment support to assist an employee with a disability to stay in their job and provides support to their employer.

Lámh user

Lámh users use hand signs to communicate with people - to ask for what they want, to answer and to take part in conversation. They can include people with intellectual disability and communication needs, such as people with Down Syndrome and Autistic people.

Lámh support worker

A Lámh support worker is a person who works with Lámh users.

Reasonable accommodation

By law, employers must take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of employees and job applicants with disabilities, except where to do so would impose a disproportionate burden on them. These are called reasonable accommodations.

Some of these steps involve no cost, for example providing:

• flexible working hours, or
• a quiet space to work.

Costs for other reasonable steps can range from minor to substantial. Examples of these include:

• assistive technology
• a ramp built on the business premises.

By law, employers must investigate what public funds or grants can help them accommodate the needs of employees and job applicants with disabilities. Funding provided under Work and Access will be treated as a grant.

Read more about reasonable accommodations in Appendix 3 of this document.

Sip and puff system

A sip and puff system send signals to a device using air pressure by "sipping" (inhaling) or "puffing" (exhaling) on a straw, tube or "wand."

Social model of disability

This is a model that sees disability as caused by society and how it is organised. It focuses on removing barriers that restrict persons with disabilities’ life choices.

Universal design

Universal Design is the provision of products, services, communications (digital, written, spoken and signed) that are easy to access, understand and use for everyone regardless of age, size, ability or disability. See the Centre for Excellence in Universal Designfor more information on universally designed communications and training.

Work and Access principles

Principles of Work and Access

• Remove unnecessary barriers to employment

Work and Access provides funding to encourage employers to make the necessary accommodations and provide inclusive workplaces that help disabled people access work on an equal footing to others.

• Empower people with disabilities to pursue their employment ambitions

Disabled people have a right to be involved in decisions that affect them, applications for support are generally made by the disabled person or by their advocate or representative. However, employers must apply for supports for both disability training and adaptations to the workplace. Read more about who should apply for each support in Section 2 and Section 4 of this document.

• Empower employers to create inclusive workplaces and equal employment opportunities for disabled people

Provide employers with information, training, and funding to support them in creating inclusive workplaces and equal employment opportunities for disabled people.

• Give supports based on needs

A person’s eligibility for the available supports will be assessed based on work needs and not a medical diagnosis.

• Meet minimum needs and provide value for money

Supports provided should allow individuals to overcome workplace barriers that arise from their disability in the most cost-effective way for the taxpayer. All supports should be practical, fit for the purpose and represent value for money.

• Workplace Needs Assessment
• Communication Support
• In-Work Support
• Personal Reader
• Work Equipment
• Workplace Adaptation
• Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

To apply for the Work and Access the applicant must complete the Department's Application Form.

• Jobseekers/Employees/Self-Employed complete the WA1 and send with quotes (see Quotes in Appendix 6)
• Employers complete the WA2 and send with quotes (see Quotes in Appendix 6)
• Applicants who are not quite sure of the supports needed or would like to explore options available to them only need to complete the relevant section on Work and Access Application form WA1. A staff member will contact the applicant or their representative directly. Approval of eligibility can be issued in advance if required.

Once the Officer has checked eligibility, the applicant will be advised if they are approved in principle and will need to complete the relevant sections on the application form for Work and Access, if not already completed and returned.

Eligibility approval does not represent a commitment by the Department to provide funding. Final approval of funding is based on fulfilling all the required criteria. This will be determined during the applicants meeting with the Department’s designated Officers.

Once the final approval for funding is issued:

• the employer is expected to buy and reclaim expenses for supports

in some instances

• providers can be paid directly for example, Personal Reader, Communication support worker or Workplace Needs Assessor.

More information on the Work and Access conditions are available in Appendix 1: Establishing Disability Criteria and Appendix 2: Establishing Employer Criteria.

Please note, additional conditions may apply depending on the support being sought.

Individual eligibility

The person must:

• be over 18 and within legal working age
• have the right to work in Ireland
• be working or seeking work in the Republic of Ireland in any sector apart from the public sector*

o A person can also apply if they have a job offer letter, a job start date or a letter confirming a job interview.

• The work can be:

o Full-time or part-time – a minimum of 8 hours per week or 32 hours per month

o Self-employed

o Work experience (6 months or more)

o Internship (6 months or more)

o Apprenticeship (6 months or more).

• Have a disability or health condition that presents a need for the job seeker, employee, or self-employed person to be supported for interview or work or both. The disability or health condition should be likely to last longer than 12 months. The person must:

o be getting a long-term disability payment, such as Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance or Partial Capacity Benefit

or

o be able to provide professional evidence confirming disability/health condition (likely last longer than 12 months). See Appendix 1: Establishing Disability Criteria.

Work and Access is not available to people who:

• undertake unpaid work, such as voluntary roles

Or

• work in the public sector.
• Costs for public sector workers who need reasonable accommodations should be met by their employer.

2.2 Employer or self-employed person

Employers

An employer can apply for Work and Access if they are a non-public sector employer operating in the State, including employers in the:

• Private Sector
• Community and Voluntary sectors
• Not-for-profit organisation

or

Self-employed people

Work and Access supports are also available to self-employed people.

A person is considered self-employed if they:

• operate a business on their own or in partnership
• work for an employer on a self-employed contractual basis
• operate a franchised business on a self-employed basis

See Appendix 2: Establishing Employer Criteria.

Recognised by Revenue

• the employer or self-employed person must be a legal entity and/or a charity (with a CHY number) that is recognised by the Revenue Commissioners

Employer Eligibility

An Employer must supply a tax clearance access number (TCAN) at the time of application. Before a payment is made an employer’s TCAN is automatically checked, and where it cannot be validated a payment will not issue. Employers can obtain their TCAN by downloading direct from www.ros.ie or through their accountant.

Please note, additional conditions will apply for the specific support applied for. For example, Disability Equality and Inclusion training will also have to meet the following conditions:

• have a paid workforce
• want to undertake staff training and development to

o promote equality and inclusion,

o increase awareness and understanding of persons with disabilities, the social model of disability and the concept of disability equality,

o provide employees with the understanding and skills to recognise persons with disabilities as individuals in their own right with their own capacities and skills,

o eliminate negative assumptions, stereotypes, and attitudes about people with disabilities in the workplace.

Seven separate financial supports are available under Work and Access. Applicants can get one or more supports at the same time, depending on their needs.

Workplace Needs Assessment

Who can Apply

Employer, Employee, Self-employed person

Overview of Support

• Funding for the applicant towards hiring a specialist to conduct an assessment, up to €2,500
• Communication support to help with assessment: Up to 10 hours Communications Support for contact with the assessor, if required (for example an interpreter)
• Find further details in section 5.1

Communication Support

Who can Apply

Employee, Self-employed person, Job Candidate

Overview of Support

Support around interview

• 1-hour period for familiarisation and interview preparation
• 3-hour period for the interview

Job Induction support

• Up to 12 hours for job induction within first 12 months of new appointment

In-Work communication support

• Up to 24 hours a year for communication support
• A person can apply for one or all of the above communication supports
• Find further details in section 5.2 Communication Support

In-Work Support

Who can Apply

Employee, Self-employed person

Overview of Support

• Funding up to €12,500 per year towards the applicant hiring a specialist support worker to help the applicant carry out their job or to re-train.
• In-Work Communication Support
• Up to 30 hours communication support for contact with the specialist(s), if required (for example an interpreter)
• Applicants must have a Workplace Needs Assessment before they can access this support.
• Find further details in section 5.3 In-Work Support

Personal Reader

Who can Apply

Employee, Self-employed person

Overview of Support

• Applicant can apply for support to assist with work related reading
• Funding available up to €12,500 per year.
• Applicants may need a Workplace Needs Assessment when a Reader is required as an In-Work support.
• A Workplace Needs Assessment is not required during the recruitment process.
• Find further details in section 5.4 Personal Reader

Work Equipment

Who can Apply

Employee, Self-employed person

Overview of Support

• Funding for the cost of assistive equipment or technology, up to €12,000
• for the business premises (which is not a person’s home), and
• for the remote-working or self-employed premises (which can be a person’s home)
• training if specialist training for the equipment is required.
• Applicants may need a Workplace Needs Assessment.
• Find further details in section 5.5 Work Equipment

Workplace Adaptation

Who can Apply

Employer, Self-employed person

Overview of Support

• Funding up to €25,000 towards the cost of adapting:
• Equipment,
• Technology, or
• the business premises (which is not a person’s home), and
• remote business premises or self-employed working premises.
• Applicants may need an employee's Workplace Needs Assessment to support claims.
• Find further details in section 5.6 Workplace Adaptation

Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

Who can Apply

Employer

Overview of Support

• Funding available to employers for training costs up to €20,000 a year
• 90% of eligible costs for Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), or other course certified by other nationally recognised governing body, or
• 80% of eligible costs where the course is not approved/certified by a nationally recognised governing body.
• Find further details in section 5.7 Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

Final approval of funding is based on fulfilling all the required criteria and will be determined after meeting with an Officer.

Individuals:

To apply complete the Work and Access Application form WA1 Form or contact their local Intreo Office who can issue the form.

Applicants that are not quite sure of the supports needed or would like to explore options available to them only need to complete the relevant section on Work and Access Application form WA1. Go to Stage 1.

Following receipt of the eligibility check, an officer will contact the applicant or their representative directly. The officer will meet and discuss the application with the individual.

Once the Officer has checked eligibility, the applicant will be advised if they are approved in principle and will need to complete the relevant sections on the application form for Work and Access , if not already completed and returned.

Eligibility approval does not represent a commitment by the Department to provide funding.

There are different requirements for each of the supports. Final approval of funding is based on meeting the requirements of the support applied for, which will be decided by the Department’s designated officers.

Quotations are required to support Work and Access applications. See Quotes in Appendix 6 for further information.

For persons that know the support(s) they wish to apply for, please complete the Work and Access Application form WA1 and move to Stage 3.

Stage 1: Application for Supports

Applicants can make an application on the Work and Access Application form WA1,this form must be sent by post to the PO Box detailed below:

Applicants can contact their local Intreo Office or the Department

• in-person
• send an email to workandaccess@welfare.ie
• in writing to:

The Department is currently developing an online application that will be available in the future.

• If the application form is needed in other formats, such as braille, or large print these can be provided.

Stage 2: Process for dealing with supports

A designated officer will be assigned to each application, they will contact the applicant or their advocate or representative directly with an appointment if needed.

At the appointment:

• all options available and best suited to the applicants needs will be discussed and advice given
• the applicant to be provided with details of documents needed to support the application
• the applicant to be advised that documents must be returned within 12 weeks. If there is any delay or issues in providing the documents, it is important to keep the officer updated

Stage 3: Processing of Application for Work and Access

Applications will be processed in a timely manner, and applicants will be informed of the decision.

Final approval should be granted before the purchase of any supports. Applications submitted after any supports have been purchased cannot be processed or paid.

Employers:

Employers complete the WA2 Application Form and submit with quotes (see Quotes in Appendix 6) for:

• Workplace Adaptation
• Workplace Needs Assessment
• Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

Stage 1: Application for Supports

• Applicants can make an application on the WA2 Application Form Application form, which must be sent by post to the PO Box detailed below.
• Applicants can contact their local Intreo Office or the Department by

o telephone or in-person

o send an email to workandaccess@welfare.ie

o in writing to:

• The Department is currently developing an online application that will be available in the future.

Stage 2: Process for dealing with support(s)

Each application will be assigned to a designated Employer Relations Officer (ERO). The Officer will contact the employer directly if an appointment is needed.

At the appointment:

• All options available and those best suited to the applicant’s needs will be discussed and advice given.
• The employer is provided with details of documents needed to support application(s).
• Documents must be provided within 12 weeks. Tell the employer to contact the Department if they have any issues in supplying the information.

Stage 3: Processing of Application for Work and Access

The application will be processed in a timely manner, and the applicant will be informed of the decision.

Final approval is needed before the purchase of any supports. Applications submitted after any supports have been purchased cannot be processed or paid.

Financial supports available under the Work and Access are structured under seven separate elements. Applicants can benefit under one, numerous, or all elements of support at the same time, depending on the needs of the person in the workplace.

Workplace Needs Assessment

An eligible applicant can get a Workplace Needs Assessment if they are:

• a new employee or
• existing employee, or
• self-employed.

A workplace needs assessment helps identify the changes that can be made to the workplace to remove the barriers a person experiences or will experience in carrying out their job or returning to work. The workplace can include working at a business premises, at home, or from a remote working location.

An application for funding up to €2,500 to hire a specialist to conduct a Workplace Needs Assessment. An applicant can also apply for communication support for the assessment where needed.

Communication support for Workplace Needs Assessment

To avail of the communication supports the person must be:

• d/Deaf or hard of hearing, and need an Irish Sign Language interpreter, lip-speaker, or other deaf interpreter,

OR

• have a disability or health condition that requires communication support.

The assessor must be registered with a relevant professional body such as the Register of Health and Social Care Professionals (CORU) or the Association of Occupational Therapists.

Finding an assessor for the Workplace Needs Assessment

A person applying for the Workplace Needs Assessment, will need to find an assessor to carry out the assessment. The assessor must:

• be suitably qualified and/or experienced (see list below),
• have a track record in occupational evaluation or workplace assessment, and
• continue to be up to date in their understanding of disabilities to make sure that they recommend the most appropriate supports, including the latest technologies and advancements.

Suitably qualified specialists include:

• Occupational Therapists,
• Occupational Psychologists,
• Occupational Physicians,
• Occupational Health Nurses or other Occupational Health Services professionals,
• Rehabilitation Nurses,
• Ergonomics Specialists, or
• Chartered Physiotherapists.

Assessors who are a member of the employer’s own staff or associate company can complete the assessment but are not eligible for funding.

The assessment should be completed in partnership with the employer, the employee, and their advocate or representative, if suitable.

The Assessor’s report

Most of the report consists of recommended actions to be taken. The report should make evidence-based recommendations for each barrier presented, identifying the accommodations and training that will enable the staff member to:

• take up work or remain in their position, for example through assistive technology or by hiring a personal reader,
• assist the staff member in taking up a different position in the company, for example by hiring a work coach.

The assessor must send the completed report to the relevant Department Officer.

See details of report template in Appendix 6: Workplace Needs Assessment Report Template.

Applying the assessor’s recommendations

If the employer wants to apply the recommendations, the employer and employee may avail of one or more of the support elements available through Work and Access.

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

• up to €2,500 of the eligible costs to carry out the assessment, and
• up to 10 hours communication support for contact hours with the specialist support work or specialists.

Communication Support

An employee, a self-employed person, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, can apply for funding for Communication support, such as a job interview, job induction, and for further workplace communication support.

An eligible applicant can avail of communication support if:

• they are d/Deaf or hard of hearing and need an Irish Sign Language interpreter, lip-speaker, or other deaf interpreter, or
• they have a disability or health condition that requires communication support.

To apply for support for a job induction and/or In-Work Supports, an employee must make a joint application with their employer. Confirmation from employer of interview, induction, or another In-Work support will be needed.

An eligible applicant can apply for funding to receive communication support for the following:

Type of Communication Support: (Maximum Hours)

• Pre-interview Support: (1 hour)
• Interview Support: (3 hours)
• Inductions Support: (12 hours)
• Ongoing Support: (24 hours)
• Communication Support for Workplace Needs Assessment: (10 hours)
• Communication Support for In-Work Support: (30 hours)

Pre-interview support - 1 hour

An eligible job candidate can use this support to pay for a 1-hour familiarisation session to prepare for the interview with their interpreter.

Interview support - 3 hours

An eligible job candidate can use this support to pay for up to 3 hours for interpreter support for a job interview. There is no limit to the number of interviews with an interpreter or communication support worker. To apply for interview supports, the applicant must have a letter or email from the potential employer or a recruiter confirming an interview.

Induction support - 12 hours

An eligible employee who is new to their post can use up to 12 hours of job induction support to pay for an interpreter within the first 12 months of their new appointment. This support can be used for job induction activities such as reviews. To apply for job induction and for ongoing workplace communication support, the employer has to sign off on the employee’s application.

Ongoing support - 24 hours

An eligible employee who is either new to their post, or in an existing employment, can use up to 24 hours of this support to pay for an interpreter over a 12-month rolling period. The support can be used to assist with workplace communication and can be used in addition to the induction support.

Communication support for a Workplace Needs Assessment - 10 hours

This communication support is only available to a person who needs it to help a Workplace Needs Assessment to take place.

Communication support for In-Work Support - 30 hours

This communication support is only available to a person where a Workplace Needs Assessment recommends that it is required.

Sourcing an interpreter

The job candidate, employee, advocate, or representative must source a qualified interpreter, lip-speaker, or communication support worker.

A d/Deaf interpreter or lip-speaker is eligible if they:

• are a registered Irish Sign Language interpreter with the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (risli.ie) or
• registered with a recognised Interpreter service in Ireland

Examples of evidence include relevant qualifications, being registered with a relevant professional body, references that demonstrate competency and/or experience.

To receive funding communication support providers must be tax-compliant and must provide a copy of Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) or Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN). The applicant should ensure that the interpreter is aware of these obligations before engaging their services.

Application and payment process

Applications for Interview Communication Support should be dealt with as a priority and processed immediately, as interview notice can be short and interpreters can be hard to source.

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

For the interpreter, lip-speaker, or communication support worker for:

• a 1-hour period for familiarisation and interview preparation
• a 3-hour period for the interview
• up to 12 hours for job induction within the first 12 months of their new appointment
• up to 24 hours over a 12-month rolling period for ongoing communication support in addition to the 12 hours for job induction
• up to 10 hours as part of a Workplace Needs Assessment
• up to 30 hours with In-Work Support recommended by a Workplace Needs Assessment

ISL interpreter rates

The rates depend on the level of qualification and experience of the interpreter.

The interpreter, lip-speaker or communication support worker can attend in-person or remotely. The disabled person’s preferred attendance format should be facilitated where possible.

Note: Interpreters are often sourced through an agency, with payment being made to the agency rather than to the interpreter.

In-Work Support

An eligible applicant can avail of this support if they have a disability or health condition that requires a specialist support worker, Work Coach or a Lámh support worker to help them to perform successfully in their job and/or re-training to move to another position.

If approved, an employer or self-employed person can hire in the services of a suitably qualified specialist (for example an occupational therapist) and payment will be paid directly to the service provider.

Sourcing a specialists

The specialists, Work Coach or Lámh support worker must be suitably qualified and/or experienced to ensure that they can provide a good service.

There is no pre-approved list of suitably qualified specialist providers or Lámh support workers.

Specialists who are a member of the employer’s own staff or associate company are not eligible for funding.

Sourcing training

An employee or employer can obtain the training services and payment for the costs will be paid directly from the Department to the service provider.

• A Workplace Needs Assessment must identify the training need.
• This training must not already be provided by the Department directly or by any other state provider (such as Solas/ETBs, Teagasc).

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

• up to €12,500 per year for a work coach, specialists support or other support such as Lámh support

• up to 30 hours communication support for contact hours with the specialist, if required

A Workplace Needs Assessment must be carried out before someone can avail of the In-Work Support Service or the Personal Reader Support (in certain circumstances). The assessment must show a need for these supports. The assessment only provides recommendations, it does not authorise funding. The Department of Social Protection must approve funding in advance of accessing these supports.

The report

The assessor’s observations are detailed in a report.

The report is divided into two parts:

• Part 1: the assessment, which details the job, disability, workplace environment and barriers to work
• Part 2: recommends actions to be taken.

The majority of the report consists of recommended actions to be taken. The report should make evidence-based recommendations for each barrier presented, identifying the accommodations and training that will enable the staff member to:

• take up work or remain in their position, for example through assistive technology or hiring a personal reader,
• assist the staff member in taking up a different position in the company, for example hiring a specialist support worker.

The assessor must send the completed report to the Department.

A template of the report is available in Appendix 5: Workplace Needs Assessment Report Template.

Personal Reader

An eligible applicant (employee, self-employed person, or their advocate or representative) can apply for funding for a personal reader if they are blind or vision impaired to assist them with their work-related reading. They can use this support to hire or obtain the contracted services of an individual to act as a personal reader.

Sourcing the personal reader

The applicant must source their own personal reader.

The personal reader can be professionally qualified or unqualified.

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

• for up to €12,500 per year towards the cost of a Personal Reader.
• A Workplace Needs Assessment may be needed for some applications.
• The funding is paid directly to the service provider employed or contracted to act as a personal reader.

The amount payable is based on an hourly fee paid to the reader, in line with the current minimum wage. When the blind or vision impaired person requires a technically qualified reader, the hourly fee payable will be looked at on an individual basis and may be higher.

If the application is approved, the Department provides funding to pay the agreed costs of a Personal Reader. Applicants will need to complete and return a Personal Reader support Claim Form at the end of each month when using this support.

Work Equipment

An eligible applicant or their advocate or representative can apply for funding to cover the costs of assistive equipment or technology required for them to work or keep working in their business and/or remote-working premises.

Once the final approval for funding is issued the employer will be required to support the application, to source and purchase the approved equipment and claim re-imbursement. In certain circumstances arrangements can be made for providers to be paid directly for equipment.

The person with a disability will keep ownership of the equipment unless it has been incorporated into the employer’s equipment.

The support cannot be used to:

• fund supports required under law, such as
• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 - Health and Safety Authority (hsa.ie) (as amended),
• Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015 – see information in The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 – A Summary - IHREC - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
• meet the usual costs of setting up and running a business for either an employer or self-employed person.
• fund job specific equipment usually provided by employers.

A professional report may be needed to support applications with high costs, for example a Workplace Needs Assessment. Please refer to Section 5.1: Workplace Needs Assessment

Eligibility

An eligible applicant can avail of this support if they have a disability or health condition that requires assistive equipment or technology to work, for example:

• specialised furniture,
• alternative keyboards,
• screen magnifiers,
• induction loop systems,
• amplifiers for telephones,
• sip and puff systems,
• software (screen-reading, dictation)
• real time captioning systems,
• licence renewal of assistive software.

Software licence renewal can be claimed annually, but the applicant must apply for this funding and get approval in advance of purchasing a renewed licence.

Assistive technology and software must be compatible with workplace devices/systems before purchasing.

Ownership of equipment

In all cases, the person with a disability keeps ownership of the equipment unless it has been incorporated into the equipment of the employer.

The Department of Social Protection is not responsible for insurance, repair, or maintenance of the equipment or required Health and Safety training. It is anticipated that while employed, the insurance, repair, maintenance and health and safety training will be covered by the employer.

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

• up to €12,000 towards the cost of assistive equipment or technology for the business premises, including training and
• up to €12,000 towards the cost of assistive equipment or technology for the remote-working premises, including training, if specialist training for the equipment is required.

Note: Adaptations to equipment are funded under the Workplace Adaptation element (see section 5.6).

Workplace Adaptation

This support is designed for people with a disability who require modifications to their workplace to enable them to get or stay in a job.

An employer or self-employed person can apply for funding to cover the costs of necessary adaptations to:

• equipment
• technology, or
• business premises (which is not a person’s home)
• or remote working premises or self-employed premises

The employee must support the application. Once full approval is granted, the employer will procure and purchase the approved adaptation and claim re-imbursement from the Department.

Exclusions:

The support cannot be used to fund supports required under law, such as

• Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014
• S.I. No. 487/1997 Building Regulations 1997. In particular, Building Regulations 2010 Technical Guidance Document M
• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (as amended)
• Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015

These include obligations with respect to:

• accessing premises
• sanitary facilities
• parking

Other factors excluded for persons with disabilities where the workplace or business also has public access:

• To meet the usual costs of setting up and running a business for either an employer or self-employed person.
• Fund adaptations usually provided by employers. These are adaptations which would normally be needed to do the tasks of the job, whether the person doing the job is disabled or not. This type of adaptation depends on the individual job circumstances.
• Funding for adaptations to their home even if it is the employee’s primary workplace. To get funding for adaptations to their home, an applicant can apply for a Housing Adaptation Grant from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

A Workplace Needs Assessment is required to support the claim for a Workplace Adaption. Refer to section: 5.1 Workplace Needs Assessment.

Supports available

Work and Access pays:

• for up to €25,000 towards the cost of adapting equipment, technology, and the business premises (which is not a person’s home).

Examples of adaptations include:

• adaptations to furniture
• installing ramps, lifts, washing facilities or alarm systems with flashing lights
• modifying toilets
• widening doors

Ownership of adaptations

The employer keeps ownership in all cases, where the adaptation has been incorporated into the equipment, technology, or business premises of the employer.

The Department of Social Protection is not responsible for insurance, repair, or maintenance of the adaptation or required Health and Safety training. It is anticipated that the insurance, repair, maintenance and Health and Safety training will be covered by the employer.

Sourcing the adaptations:

• The employer must source their own adaptations.
• There is no pre-approved list of providers.

Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

An employer or organisation can apply for funding to arrange and pay for Disability Equality and Inclusion training for their staff. The training courses should be tailored to address the specific needs of a workplace.

The level of funding available depends on whether the course is certified by QQI or other nationally recognised governing body. The employer or organisation are required to source their own training provider.

The range of options for training can be funded over a 12-month period, with maximum limits to funding available.

Eligibility

Work and Access general eligibility criteria do not apply to the Disability Equality and Inclusion training support.

An employer/organisation is eligible to use this support if they:

• are a non-public sector employer,
• have a paid workforce,
• want to undertake staff training and development to

o promote equality and inclusion

o increase awareness and understanding of persons with disabilities, the social model of disability and the concept of disability equality

o provide employees with the understanding and skills to recognise persons with disabilities as individuals in their own right with their own capacities and skills

o eliminate negative assumptions, stereotypes, and attitudes about people with disabilities in the workplace

The trainer/provider should have:

• relevant qualifications and/or experience, including developing universally designed training programmes and the provision of training materials in accessible formats
• a strong social model perspective
• extensive knowledge of disability policy issues and rights
• experience or understanding of equality, disability, human rights, and inclusion
• a disability themselves or co-deliver the training programme with a person with a disability or developed their training programme in consultation with people with disabilities

Training options:

1. General Disability Equality and Inclusion training for all staff, which must include:

• information to increase awareness and understanding of persons with disabilities, the social model of disability and the concept of disability equality
• an overview of the relevant anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation, and the rights of people with disabilities to equal treatment in employment, including the provision of reasonable accommodation measures
• information on persons with different types of disabilities
• guidance on how to ensure respectful, accessible, and inclusive communications and interactions with people with disabilities and the use of appropriate disability language, and
• good practices to build understanding and skills to recognise persons with disabilities as individuals in their own right with their own capacities and skills using awareness exercises that aim to address negative assumptions, stereotypes and attitudes
• information on effectively including people with mental health issues in the workplace

2. Inclusive recruitment and management training for managers, which must include how to:

• proactively reach people with disabilities in recruitment campaigns
• run inclusive and equitable application and interview processes
• discuss disability and disclosure with a candidate or employee
• consider requests for and make reasonable accommodations in the workplace and
• address unconscious bias

3. Disability specific training, for example:

• ISL training for an employee where another employee or employer is Deaf.
• Lámh training for an employee where another employee or employer uses Lámh to communicate.
• Courses explaining best practices for effectively including people with specific disabilities in the workplace, such as those with neurodiversity where an employee or employer is neurodivergent.

Support Available

Work and Access pays:

• Up to €20,000 a year to employers for eligible training costs
• 90% of eligible costs for QQI, or other course certified by other nationally recognised governing body.
• 80% of eligible costs where the course is not approved/certified by a nationally recognised governing body.

The three options of training can be funded at the same time.

For more information about the new supports

• Contact the local Intreo Office or
• email the central team on workandaccess@welfare.ie or
• writing to:

Appendix 1: Establishing Disability Criteria

Work and Access disability criteria

A person has a disability or health condition which they need support to work and/or find work. The disability or health condition should be likely to last longer than 12 months.

Definition of disability

Under the Disability Act 2005, the term ‘disability’ means:

“a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business, or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment.”

Applicants meeting the Disability Act 2005 definition of a disability are eligible for Work and Access funding.

Confirming disability:

Produce evidence of disability.

Applicants are not usually asked to supply medical evidence of their disability. But evidence of disability can be requested at any stage if:

a) There is a disagreement with the applicant.

b) There is difficulty determining that the effect of the applicant’s disability will introduce extra costs above those of a non-disabled person doing the job.

Note: Work and Access funding cannot be used to fund diagnostic assessments or treatment for any type of disability, illness, or health condition.

The officer has some discretion in relation to the type of evidence of disability that can be accepted. The officer should be practical in their considerations. For example, if a condition is permanent there is no need for a recent report.

Examples of evidence sources that may be useful to confirm the disability:

• Existing report completed by appropriate professional
• GP letter
• Educational impact statement

Being in receipt of a qualifying disability payment is not a requirement for Work and Access. However, where a job candidate/employee is in receipt of the following disability payments, they will qualify without further evidence of their disability.

• Disability Allowance
• Blind Pension
• Partial Capacity Benefit
• Disablement Pension, assessed at greater than 20% for life.

Note: The person can retain their payment while in employment, but this may be subject to means testing. The person should notify the relevant Section in the Department of Social Protection if there is a change in their employment circumstances.

Confirming support need

The disability, illness or health condition must result in the applicant needing work supports. For example, special equipment or communication support.

In most cases applicants will know what supports they need and an officer will be able to progress and approve the application with the applicants to develop a tailored package of support. A Workplace Needs Assessment should be arranged where:

a) the job candidate/employee is not clear about what support is needed,

b) the officer is not clear about what support the person with a disability needs.

c) There is difficulty determining that the effect of the applicant’s disability will introduce additional costs above those of a non-disabled person doing the job,

d) a Workplace Needs Assessment is required to approve the supports needed.

Appendix 2: Establishing Employer Eligibility

Work and Access employer criteria

Work and Access is open to all non-public sector employers in the State, such as employers in the private, community, not-for-profit and voluntary sectors.

Eligible Employers

An employer can apply for Work and Access if they are a non-public sector employer operating in the State, including employers in the:

• Private Sector
• Community and Voluntary sectors
• Not-for-profit organisation

Recognised by Revenue

• The employer or self-employed person must be a legal entity and/or a charity (with a CHY number) that is recognised by the Revenue Commissioners.

Tax compliant

• An Employer must supply a tax clearance access number (TCAN) at the time of application. Before a payment is made an employer’s TCAN is automatically checked, and where it cannot be validated a payment will not issue. Employers can obtain their TCAN by downloading direct from www.ros.ie or through their accountant.

The Single Public Service Pension Scheme maintains a list of relevant authorities operating under the scheme.

Where there is uncertainty regarding eligibility of the organisation, the Department of Social Protection will review the appropriate published company accounts, particularly those for the previous financial year. Final decisions regarding eligibility will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Definition of self-employment

A person is considered self-employed if they are operating a business on one’s own account or in partnership, working for an employer on a self-employed contractual basis, or operating a franchised business on a self-employed basis.

Definition of public sector employer

An employer is considered a public sector employer where they meet the definition of public bodies in Part 1, Section 2 of the Disability Act 2005 or where a public service pension scheme exists. This includes Department of State, the Office of the President, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Office of the Houses of the Oireachtas, a local authority, the Health Service Executive, schools, boards of management and education providers wholly or partly funded by the Department of Education and Science or the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS).

Appendix 3: Overview of Employer Obligations on Reasonable Accommodations

The Employment Equality Acts says that employers must take ‘appropriate measures’ to meet the needs of disabled people in the workforce. This means they must make arrangements that will enable a person who has a disability to:

• have equal opportunities when applying for work
• be treated the same as co-workers
• have equal opportunities for promotion
• undertake training.

Employers are not required to recruit, promote, retain or provide training to a person who does not have the capacity to do a particular job. However, an employer cannot decide that a person with a disability is incapable of doing a particular job without considering whether there are appropriate measures which they could take to support the person to carry out the required duties.

Appropriate measures also known as reasonable accommodations mean effective and practical changes that the employer puts in place to enable disabled employees to carry out their work on an equal footing with others. For example, adapting equipment or their premises the, offering flexible working times, or allowing them to work from home.

The employer is not obliged to provide anything that the person would normally provide for themselves. For example, an employer would not be expected to provide hearing aids for a person who is hard of hearing.

In order to know which appropriate measures to put in place, employers need to understand the practical needs of people with disabilities, including those of people with experience of mental health difficulties. This can be gained through consultation with employees with disabilities, through additional information on this website and through guidance from the National Disability Authority.

An employer might not have to provide these types of appropriate measures if it meant that the employer would suffer a ‘disproportionate burden’. To establish what a ‘disproportionate burden’ is for the employer; several things are taken into account.

These include:

• the financial cost of the measures involved
• other costs involved, for example, staff time or impact on productivity
• the size and financial resources of the employer’s business.

Before an employer can claim that providing reasonable accommodation measures or facilities would place them under a ‘disproportionate burden’, they must look at the possibility of obtaining public funding, grants and so on. If help is available to them, it might make the changes possible. Many reasonable accommodation measures would not necessarily have a cost implication – such as flexible work arrangements or facilitating part-time work.

Appendix 4: WA1 Application Form for Work and Access

Appendix 5: WA2 Employer Application Form for Work and Access

Appendix 6: Workplace Needs Assessment Report Template

Assessors should be suitably qualified and experienced. They must have a vast and evolving understanding of disability and health condition issues to ensure that their recommendations include the latest technologies and advancements.

The assessor must evaluate:

• the job role,
• the disability and
• the workplace environment

having regard for the specific needs of the employee.

With these findings, the assessor produces a report recommending adjustments that could be made to remove the barriers experienced by the employee in carrying out their job and to support the employee in the workplace.

The assessment should:

• take place between the assessor, employee, and the employer/line manager in the employee’s primary workplace. The assessor should evaluate the role and workplace through both observation and through active conversation with the employee and their employer/ line manager, listening to their concerns and suggestions.

The report should:

• offer as much relevant detail as possible
• not be prescriptive or critical of an employer but rather evidence based, impartial and unbiased. It should not tell an employer what they should be doing but rather recommend adjustments that can be made.

The Report should include:

Part I: Assessment

1. Employment details

What is their job title/position?

2. Type of assessment

Face-to-face, online?

3. The place of the assessment

Person’s place of work or other. For example, if the person works from home, or in other locations.

4. Description of the employee’s job

What tasks does the employee do for their job? For example, computer work, attending meetings, taking minutes.

5. Description of the employee’s disability or health condition

State the disability or health condition. Explain their relevant history and medical details, including current professional help they are receiving. Explain the difficulties the employee experiences in the workplace. Has secondary disabilities or health conditions arisen due to this?

6. Description of the workplace environment

Does the employee work at a desk, at a building site, in a classroom? Does the employee work in a business premise and/or online? Does this create different needs? What equipment and/or services do they currently use (in both the business premise and remote-working)? Are there any issues with them?

Part II: Report

1. Actions already taken

Detail any actions already taken, whether by the employer, employee and/or through previous access to schemes. Are these actions working? May assist with recommendations (they only need an adaptation of existing equipment rather than brand new equipment). Ensure employer is meeting their legislative obligations with respect to their employee.

2.Recommendation of actions to be taken

Based on the findings of the evaluations conducted in Part I. For each barrier presented, evidence-based recommendations must be made offering the best and most cost-effective solution. More than one recommendation can be made to resolve a challenge experienced by the employee.

• Barrier: each barrier must be evidence based, drawn from the observations of the assessor and/or from concerns or suggestions raised by the employee or employer. Detail must be given on the difficulties faced due to this barrier in the workplace.
• Recommendations: each recommendation should be explicitly stated. An explanation for each recommendation should then be provided. This explanation should detail what it is and how the recommendation would remove or improve the barrier faced by the employee in the workplace.

For example, if assistive technology was a recommendation, the technology recommended / required should be stated. An explanation of the technology should be given followed by an explanation of how this technology would address the challenge faced by the employee in the workplace, which is improving efficiency, accessibility.

Quotes

For each recommendation made that requires funding, additional quotes may be required to ensure that the best, most cost-effective option has been chosen.

In the Recommendations section, only the recommendation that has been shown to be the best and cost-effective needs to be stated.

Where funding is required to implement a recommendation, note:

• one quotation is required if the total cost excluding VAT is under €700
• two quotations are required if the total cost excluding VAT is over €700 and under €1,500
• three quotations are required if the total cost excluding VAT is over €1,500.

Where this is not possible, justification must be given (for example, a shortage of qualified specialists)

Appendix 7 - General Terms and Conditions - Work and Access

Legal Governance

An employer must be fully compliant with current workplace Health and Safety legislation and all other legal requirements. The employer’s Public/Employers’ Liability insurance and Motor insurance, if applicable.

The employers must not be in receipt of funds from any other source in respect of the supports that are funded under the Work and Access.

Taxation

Work and Access funding is classified as a grant. It is therefore exempt from corporation tax, as provided for in the following legislation:

• Section 226 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, (1) (d) & (e) and (2)
• As amended by Section 36 of the Finance Act, 2013, (1) (a) & (b)

The appropriate deductions in terms of income tax, Class A PRSI and USC should be made from the Personal Readers wages. The Personal Readers employer should also pay the employer’s portion of the Class A PRSI contributions in respect of the employee.

Data Protection

The Department of Social Protection administers Ireland's social protection system. The department requires customers to provide certain personal data in order to determine eligibility for relevant payments and/or benefits.

A customer’s personal data may be exchanged with other Government Departments in certain circumstances where this is provided for by law.

Full details of the department's data protection policy setting out how we will use a customer’s personal data as well as information regarding their rights as a data subject are available at the gov.iewebsite. Details of this policy are also available in hard copy upon request.

Freedom of Information Act, 2014 (FOI)

The Department of Social Protection undertakes to use its best endeavours to hold confidential any information provided by companies (correspondence/forms/tenders, etc.), subject to the Department of Social Protection’s obligations under law, including the Freedom of Information Act, 2014.

Should a company wish that any of the information it supplied not be disclosed because of its sensitivity, the company should, when providing the information, identify the same and specify the reasons for its sensitivity. The Department of Social Protection will consult with the company’s representative about this sensitive information before making a decision on any Freedom of Information request received.

Please note, however, that if no information is identified as sensitive, with supporting reasons, then it can potentially be released in response to a FOI request.

Work and Access Complaints

Dealing effectively with our customers’ complaints is one of the Department of Social Protection’s commitments under the Customer Charterwhich also sets out the standard it should meet in delivering its services.

The Department of Social Protection must, accordingly, ensure that any complaints are examined carefully and resolved with the same quality approach. The Department of Social Protection must also try to ensure that errors which give rise to complaints are not repeated. Complaints received by the Department of Social Protection are recorded and reported on annually.

This provides a valuable source of information by which service standards overall can be monitored and reviewed. For further information, please see the Customer Charter.

Right of Access

An employer shall grant officials of the Department of Social Protection access to records, financial or otherwise, pertaining to the Work and Access. At the request of the Department of Social Protection, the employer will provide rights of access and inspection to the Department of Social Protection, its officers and agents and the Comptroller and Auditor General to all activities, records, persons and information which the Department of Social Protection may reasonably require to verify compliance by the employer with the terms and conditions agreed in relation to payment of a Work and Access by the Department of Social Protection to the employer.

All records, both manual and electronic, relating to funding provided under the Work and Access must be retained for as long as supports are in payment and for six years after, and must be available for inspection.

Payment of Work and Access may be suspended or stopped if the employer does not agree to any reasonable request from an officer or agent of the the Department of Social Protection to access any records they hold pertaining to Work and Access.

Right of Review

Work and Access is a non-statutory support that is not covered under social welfare legislation. It is one of several social welfare supports which are run on an administrative basis.

Administrative schemes are not appealable under social welfare legislation. However, if a customer is unhappy with a particular decision, they can ask to have their case reviewed by another officer. This review will be carried out by someone not involved in the original decision.

A customer who wishes to have a decision reviewed should write to the the Department of Social Protection officer within 21 days of the decision, clearly stating the grounds on which they wish the review to be based and attaching any evidence they have that supports their case.

Comptroller and Auditor General

The supports provided under Work and Access are considered grants and may be subject to inspection by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Breaches of the Terms and Conditions of Work & Access

If the Department deems that an employer has breached the terms and conditions of work and access, the employer may be disqualified from current and/or future participation in the Work and Access or may be monitored more closely.