Audience guide
Physical and mobility disabilities
People with physical disabilities, wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility or dexterity are often shut out by buildings and assumptions rather than by the job itself. Most adjustments are practical, one-off and inexpensive.
Adjustments are about what helps, not about labels. Never ask for a diagnosis, and let each person decide what they share.
What to do
- Ask the person what they need, as they are the expert
- Check access to the entrance, toilets, parking and emergency exits
- Offer remote work or flexible hours where tasks allow
- Include the person in evacuation planning
What to avoid
- Assuming what someone can or cannot do
- Holding interviews in inaccessible places
- Moving or touching mobility aids without asking
Typical adjustments
- Height-adjustable desk or workbench
- Accessible parking space near the entrance
- Voice control or an adapted keyboard and mouse
- A personal emergency evacuation plan
Extra steps in your plan
Check physical access to your workplace
Look at steps, door widths, toilets, parking and the route to workstations. Note what you can fix and what alternatives you can offer.
Get ready · Essential · About 1 hour
Arrange an ergonomic workstation assessment
An occupational therapist or equipment supplier can recommend adjustments, which may be covered by public support schemes.
Offer and prepare · Recommended · About 1 hour
Make a personal emergency evacuation plan
Agree together how the person will leave the building in an emergency and who helps, then practise it.
Onboard · Essential · About 1 hour
Turn this into your own plan
Choose your type of business and who you are hiring, and get one checklist that tracks your progress, plus a tracker for each new hire's first six months.
This toolkit is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules on recruitment, adjustments and support schemes differ between countries, so check with your local employment service or an adviser.