Work and Access employment supports for disabled people
The Disability and Carers’ Policy Unit in the Department of Social Protection is delighted to inform you of the launch of Work and Access, a set of seven employment supports for disabled people.
Work and Access offers seven key supports:
1. Workplace Needs Assessment Grants of up to €2,500 are available to enable people with a disability or health condition to identify the supports they need in their workplace to do their job.
2. Workplace Adaptations Grants of up to €25,000 are available to support employers with funding to adapt their business premises for an employee or future employee with a disability.
3. Work Equipment Grants of up to €12,000 are available towards personalised assistive equipment or technology for people with disabilities working in the business premises or working remotely.
4. Personal Reader funding is available to assist people who are blind or visually impaired with work-related reading.
5. Communication support which funds Irish Sign Language or other communication support (delete help) with job interviews, job inductions, in-work meetings or performance reviews.
6. In-work Support funding is available towards a work coach or specialist support to help a person with a disability to do their job or re-train if they move to another position.
7. Disability Equality and Inclusion Training funding is available for employers with a paid workforce to train all their staff on disability and inclusion.
Work and Access supports are available to jobseekers, people who have acquired a disability and want to stay in work, people with disabilities who are employed or self-employed. They are also available to those on work experience or internships of 6 months or more and those on apprenticeships. The supports are available to people in all sectors apart from the public sector. Supports are available to remote workers in up to two locations.
Work and Access replaces the former Reasonable Accommodation Fund and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme. You may be aware that these schemes were reviewed and a set of recommendations was made to ensure better employment supports for disabled people. Work and Access was developed to implement these recommendations.
Please find links for the following online elements of Work and Access below:
- Webpage: gov.ie/workandaccess
- Application Forms: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/47db8-work-and-access-supports/#application-form
- Operational Guidelines: gov - Work and Access (www.gov.ie)
- Irish Sign Language video: Work and Access Irish Sign Language Video
- Press release: gov - Minister Humphreys launches Work and Access (www.gov.ie)
- Your Guide to our Schemes and Services: Illness, Disability and Caring (July 2024) – this is a fully updated version with information on Work and Access): gov - Illness, Disability and Caring (www.gov.ie). Hard copies will be available in Intreo offices or on request in a few weeks.
Please also find a flyer HERE which describes the Work and Access supports.
We would also appreciate if you would assist the Department in promoting this scheme by sharing the following social media posts, in particular the Instagram reel as this generally has the widest reach and engagement.
Instagram reel
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-DRmBws6qq/
X Static post
https://x.com/welfare_ie/status/1818255972110135637
LinkedIn static post
https://www.linkedin.com/company/518270/admin/page-posts/published/
Please also find links around staff with a disability remit in the Department below.
- Designated Disability Employment Personal Advisors (DDEPAs – local point of contact for disabled people when engaging with Intreo employment services, early engagement, Work and Access queries from employees, self-employed and disabled jobseekers)
- Employer Relations Officer (www.gov.ie) (EROs with equality, diversity, and inclusion remit – point of contact for employers who have staff with disabilities or who are planning to hire disabled staff)
- Access Officers under the Disability Act - they deal with accessibility of Intreo offices in their area.
We would appreciate if you could bring Work and Access to the attention of your members and encourage people to access the available supports.
Regards
Marie Giblin
Marie Giblin
Assistant Principal Officer
Polasaí Tinneas, Míchumas agus Cúramóra
Disability and Carers Policy Unit
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An Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí
Department of Social Protection
Úrlar 5, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Sráid an Stórais, Baile Átha Cliath 1, D01 WY03
Floor 5, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1, D01 WY03
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T +353 (0)87 6374857
