Disability passport

The term ‘disability’ is used in this document to refer to physical disability whether visible or not and includes health conditions, both ongoing and intermittent, some neurodiverse conditions and some mental health conditions and disabilities. Please see section below Reasonable Adjustment s and the Law, for more information about what is considered a disability.

A person's ability to perform their job is sometimes supported by reasonable adjustments to their workplace. There is not always a need to record very short-term adjustments such as where a line manager may agree to adjust working hours for a couple of weeks. Where more significant adjustments are likely to be needed whether these remain temporary or become permanent the University is committed to supporting individuals. This document raises awareness and understanding about what a reasonable adjustment may be, how to implement and record them.

Recording reasonable adjustments benefits the university and disabled staff members particularly when their role or line manager changes and helps them avoid having to frequently repeat their requirements.

The passport will provide a record of an individual's disability and agreed reasonable adjustments within the workplace.

The passport can be used to provide individuals with a disability or long-term health condition an opportunity to discuss how this affects them on a daily basis, and to assist managers to take into account all relevant factors when considering what support can be put in place.

It becomes a live record of agreed workplace reasonable adjustments and helps to ensure that these are implemented efficiently, effectively and sustainably. Such a passport serves two main purposes:

• To make sure that reasonable adjustments are portable, when a member of staff changes roles within the university, any agreed workplace adjustments should move with them (as we are one employer). However, it is accepted that adjustments may change along with the disability or health condition and therefore adjustments can be reviewed to support the individual.

• To record agreed workplace reasonable adjustments and the removal of institutional barriers. The passport should include all relevant information, specifying what adjustments have been made and when these should be reviewed.

A Disability Passport should be available to members of staff with a disability in line with the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 which makes it clear that reasonable adjustments must be considered by employers.

It is recognized that some colleagues who have not been diagnosed with a disability or health condition may need reasonable adjustments. The passport can also be used for these staff and situations as it is aimed at supporting all and removing institutional, cultural, social and personal barriers in carrying out their role.

The passport belongs to the passport holder (i.e. the member of staff for whom the adjustments are made).

Members of staff are encouraged to share their passport with their line managers and appropriate contacts (as identified by themselves). This can facilitate any discussion about reasonable adjustments and the removal of barriers as a means of support.

Completion of the Disability Passport is voluntary but strongly encouraged by the University. A form is provided to aid the facilitation of conversations around reasonable adjustments and supportive measures and a mechanism for the capturing of this information. 

The Equality act 2010 gives disabled job applicants and current staff the right to reasonable adjustments where they experience substantial disadvantage in certain circumstances when compared with someone who is not disabled.

Employers have a duty to provide reasonable adjustments where they know, or reasonably ought to have known, the worker, job seeker or former employee was disabled.

The definition of what constitutes a disability is that a worker has a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

There is no absolute definition, it is not simply a case that some conditions are classed as a disability and others are not. For example, a person with diabetes may or may not be disabled; a person with dyslexia may or may not be disabled. The test is not limited to any particular conditions but relates rather to the impact on the person.

To satisfy the definition, the disability must:

• have lasted at least 12 months, or
• be likely to last at least 12 months, or
• be likely to last for the rest of the person’s lifetime (if less than 12 months). 

This includes conditions that have an intermittent impact on functioning.

Normal day-to-day activities cover what most people do in their everyday lives such as walking, eating, shopping or forming social relationships. The employer’s duty begins as soon as it would be deemed reasonable for it to have taken steps to avoid the relevant disadvantage to the disabled person.

In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, if a member of staff discloses that they have a disability in an official capacity, e.g. told a line manager, Occupational Health, or informed the university during a recruitment and selection process, there is a duty under the law to take action i.e. consider reasonable adjustments if appropriate.

The University’s responsibility

Members of staff do not have a duty to declare a disability, however as an employer, Loughborough University has a duty under the law to make adjustments if we could ‘reasonably be expected to know’, that an employee has a disability. A member of staff may choose not to disclose their disability for a number of reasons, including concerns about a threat to their continued employment i t is therefore very important that line managers and supervisors do all that can reasonably be expected through their normal line of management responsibilities, to identify and implement any adjustments that may be required.

Staff members’ responsibility

Health and Safety legislation places an obligation on members of staff to co-operate with their employer, to ensure the duty of care to themselves and their colleagues is complied with and that no one is put at risk.

Individuals with a disability or long-term health condition may face different barriers and whilst adjustments need to be considered, they also need to be ‘reasonable’. What is classed as ‘reasonable’ would take into account an individual’s circumstances and requirements, how practical and effective the adjustments are alongside a consideration of the size and resources of the university, not just the school or service where the member of staff works. 

Costs associated with reasonable adjustments fall under the employer's responsibility, not the employees. If substantial adjustments are agreed, there may be support available from Access to Work (https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work).

This is an employee-led scheme helping people who have a physical or mental health condition or disability either get into work or remain at work.

Examples of reasonable adjustments could include:

• Doing things another way, such as - enabling someone who experiences social anxiety to have their own desk instead of hot-desking.
• Making physical changes, such as installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person.
• Auxiliary aids and auxiliary services, for example a reader, sign language interpreter or materials in braille.
• Enabling the disabled person to be absent during working hours for agreed time to support rehabilitation, assessment or treatment or to attend therapy (this is not an exhaustive list).
• Enabling a disabled person to work somewhere else if requested, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user or someone with a mobility
• Changing equipment, such as providing a more appropriate keyboard or voice-recognition software if they have chronic arthritis.
• Ensuring employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, for example working flexible hours, part-time, or a later start or finish time.

However, as individuals have different needs that can change over time and in different circumstances, every case is different. It is for the employer to determine what is reasonable in each case, in consultation with the member of staff. If adjustments are potentially required a referral to Occupational Health is recommended so that any further medical adjustments agreed by a manager can be informed both by the employee themselves and appropriate medical advice.

The role of Occupational Health is to provide line managers and HR with specialist medical advice and conduct medical health assessments in order to identify appropriate adjustments.

Recommendations from Occupational Health will be sent to the line manager and HR for consideration. Management should be working in conjunction with employees and Occupational Health in understanding, implementing, and reviewing reasonable adjustments.

All medical information provided to Occupational Health by the members of staff is given in the strictest confidence. Unless the individual specifically consents to disclosure, Occupational Health cannot divulge this information to the manager. A manager may therefore have to implement the adjustments recommended by

Occupational Health without knowing the clinical reason for that adjustment. This may present some complexities in respect of what is reasonable and practical and therefore we encourage individuals to share as much as they feel able to do so.

Most employees do not need reasonable adjustments in the workplace, but managers should ensure that all staff are aware of the Disability Passport, and that support by way of reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and those with a long-term health condition can be discussed and agreed

The passport should be outlined to staff as part of their induction and at regular intervals in team communications and one-to-ones. It should be a consideration in performance management and recognised in sickness absence management and training.

Where staff have returned from sick leave (especially long-term), discussions as part of their return to work should include whether any supportive measures can be put in place. This may include consideration of reasonable adjustments and the use of the Disability Passport as appropriate.

Considerations will include:

• Will any adjustment effectively reduce disadvantage for the disabled person?
• Is the adjustment practical and will it be safe?
• The cost of the adjustment must be in relation to the effectiveness of the adjustment in relation to the total budget of the university, e. a manager must not refuse solely on cost and their devolved budget.

The Passport is a resource available to all staff members at any time during their employment. A passport can be requested by the staff member or be proactively offered by their line manager.

The staff member should complete the form in the first instance which they are encouraged to share with their line manager and send a copy to HR Services. A meeting should be arranged by the line manager to discuss the passport and to agree and confirm workplace adjustments that can be made. Sometimes it may be necessary or appropriate to obtain specialist advice, i.e. via a referral to Occupational Health or contact with Estates and Facilities Management for infrastructure/building changes.

HR may be asked to attend these meetings to provide additional advice if the individual and the line manager request this, however it is not mandatory.

Staff members will have the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union representative, or a university colleague of their choice at these meetings.

The Disability Passport is owned by the staff members and should accompany them throughout their career at Loughborough University or for as long as the adjustments are relevant. A copy of this will be held on their HR file.

No adjustment requests should be refused without seeking advice from Occupational Health and HR first. There may be occasions where a reasonable adjustment request does not satisfy the test of reasonableness and in which case the individual should be updated in writing after any in person updates.

The Disability Passport should be reviewed by the staff members and their line manager at an agreed timescale three months after the reasonable adjustments have been put in place to ensure they are effective. If they have not been put in place or have not proved to be useful, a review meeting ensures those adjustments can be made or updated. Thereafter, it is recommended that the Disability Passport is reviewed regularly every 6 - 12 months and as relevant to the person’s health condition or disability to ensure that it remains fit for purpose, and the adjustments continue to be appropriate. This may mean that for some people a review is more appropriate every 24 months.

Agreed reasonable adjustments should not be reduced without a valid reason. The Disability Passport may be reviewed at any time by the staff member and their line manager to ensure that any adjustments remain appropriate if:

• Their disability or health condition
• Their personal circumstances
• Their job requirements are changing.
• Their post
• There is a change in the working

There may also be instances where there is a change in understanding about how the environment is impacting a health condition or  disability.

The staff members will have the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union representative, or a university colleague of their choice at these review meetings.