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Help with Access to Work

Loop217

Apologies in advance if this is a long read, and thanks if you read till the end.

I started a new job 7 months ago, and applied for Access to Work by the instruction of my employers because I disclosed to them that I was autistic. I thought it was important to do so, due to previous experiences I have had.

I have my Access to Work assessment coming up, and was wondering how I ask/discuss the things that I will need support with/additional equipment that will help me. I have already asked for reasonable adjustments directly at work, and they have flat out just not replied to my email. So I wanted to make sure I get the right 'backing' from Access to Work.

The initial probation period of my job means that I move location every 10 - 14 weeks. The travel and change is a massive challenge in itself, as well as having to work at different workstation every shift due to the hot desking they have in the office. I also asked for software that would help me with reading, and software for mind mapping. My employer initially said they would provide this, but would not provide me with my own workstation/laptop (I think because it is a cost to them). There is no way I can get my own workstation 1. Whilst I have to travel every 10-14 weeks and 2. Because of the hot desk situation. Work said that I needed to ask for a permanent workstation from my manager, but this is not possible as there are not enough workstations for the amount of people we have at any one time. 

Travel is a massive challenge for me. I know I have to change locations, but have asked for this to be closer to home every time I have to be moved somewhere. 

I asked them to provide earplugs for when I am working in the office.

Flexible start and finish times (Only if needed)

A laptop with the necessary software (reading and speech as well as mind mapping)

Are these request for support reasonable? And does anyone have anything that they have asked for via Access to Work that has helped them?

Any help advice would be appreciated.

Thank you. 

  • I too would like to know more about this before getting back into the workplace, as I’m also trying to get a proper and in-depth post-diagnostic assessment since my online later in life diagnosis in 2021 at age 52  - following on from my redundancy from a supermarket after 17 years in 2019, without having a post-diagnosis assessment and without having proper supports in place, I’d felt pressured into going back into the workplace too soon after diagnosis, into a new build hotel job where the management had very little training and experience in dealing with disability issues, so I’d had to mutually agree with HR to leave on 10 March last, as I found that both there was very little support for autistic adults and that the only way to access support was to (not) be working, but again it requires the PDA, and where many require a GP referral, where appointments with most GP’s since Covid are very difficult to obtain, only cover one issue at a time and are limited to 10 mins for each issue - not having any supports in place and not being able to find any supports just made it impossible to stay, so I very reluctantly had to make the difficult decision to quit, as I was finding it overwhelming