Information for students with disabilities
As a student with a disability it is important to be aware of your rights as detailed in the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) NI Order which states that it is unlawful –
- for employers to discriminate against applicants and employees who have disabilities.
- for employers to fail to make reasonable adjustments for applicants and employees who have disabilities
If you believe your disability or long term medical condition may impact you in employment or in recruitment processes we encourage you to speak to a Career Consultant through our one to one career consultations (bookable via MyFuture) or advise us on applications to the programmes we run. Once informed your Careers Consultant will be able to advise you about the range of support options available to you and the possibility of follow-up consultations.
Disclosing your disability to potential employers
Approach the job market with confidence. It is up to you to decide if it is appropriate to disclose your disability in relation to the job role you are applying for. The choice of when to disclose is also up to you. There are advantages to disclosing your disability as early as possible as this will give employers time to make any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process that may be required.
Reasonable Adjustments
An employer can make reasonable adjustments for you both during the recruitment process and in the work place itself. This can involve anything from changing the format of an application form (for example increasing the font size or making it available in audio format) to acquiring and modifying equipment in the work place.
Where can I find other information and support?
www.myplusstudentsclub.com – features real life case studies of students with disabilities applying for placements and graduate jobs, disability ‘friendly’ employers and vacancies and useful articles about the recruitment process and finding jobs
www.specialisterneni.com – a social enterprise supporting students and graduates on the autism spectrum gain and remain in employment
www.disabilityaction.org – run a number of programmes aimed at helping people with disabilities to find employment with follow-on support available once in work
www.nidirect.gov.uk/ - information available on employment rights and Disability Employment Service (DES) programmes such as Access to Work
www.equalityni.org – provide guidance and support if you feel you have been discriminated against
www.employ-Ability.org.uk/ - offer recruitment support and internship and graduate programmes on behalf of employers keen to recruit students with disabilities
www.cedar-foundation.org/ - provide training, employment and other support to individuals with a disability