Support with work

Reasonable adjustments are changes your employer or organisation can make to help you do your job safely and comfortably. You and your employer should talk about what adjustments would work best for you.

Some examples of reasonable adjustments include:

• Changing office equipment, like using a brighter screen or providing a footrest
• Giving you a parking space closer to the building
• Flexible working hours, for example, to attend hospital appointments
• The option to work from home
• Regular breaks during the day
• Moving your desk to a more accessible spot

By law, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments when needed. But there is no strict definition of what is ‘reasonable’ and it will depend on each situation. Failure to make reasonable adjustments can be a form of discrimination.

The Disability Law Service has a free online tool called WorkRights. It can help you understand your rights and provide template letters to share with your employer about reasonable adjustments.

Our Muscular Dystrophy UK Workplace Adjustment Passport

Our Workplace Adjustment Passport helps you record and communicate how your condition affects your work. You can use it to list the support or changes you need. It’s a good idea to review it regularly with your manager to make sure you’re getting the right support.

Our Employability Service supports you in finding a job that suits you. Or if you’re already employed, we can provide advice and support to help you stay in work safely and comfortably.

Who our service is for

Our service is for anyone living with a muscle wasting or weakening condition, who needs employment advice and support.

This includes:

• People looking for their first job
• Anyone newly diagnosed and worried about how their condition could affect their work
• People whose needs are changing and who need help to continue to work in a safe and sustainable way

How we help

Whether you’re at the start of your employability journey or years into your career, we can work with you to:

• Find job roles that suit you
• Write or update your CV
• Help with job applications and/or cover letters
• Build your confidence
• Prepare you for interviews
• Give you tools and information you need to advocate for your needs at work
• Identify any reasonable adjustments you might need to do your job well

To access the service, or for any questions, email employability@musculardystrophyuk.org or call 0800 652 6352 (Monday-Thursday, 2pm-4pm).

Access to Work is a government scheme that aims to help people with disabilities or mental health conditions get support to start or stay in work.

The support you get depends on your needs. You can apply if you receive benefits and having an income or savings does not affect you being able to apply.

Grants from Access to Work can help pay for:

• Specialist equipment
• A job coach
• Travel costs if you cannot use public transport
• Adapting your car
• Communication support at interviews, like a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or help if you have a learning difficulty

You may be eligible for support from Access to Work if you’re:

• 16 or over
• About to start a job, apprenticeship, internship, work trial, or you’re returning to work
• Already in paid work or self-employed

Access to Work does not pay for reasonable adjustments – those are changes that your employer must legally do to help you do your job. Volunteers are not eligible for this scheme.

Having a muscle wasting or weakening condition shouldn’t stop you from becoming employed or staying in work. With the right support, you can have a rewarding and successful career.

Many organisations offer employability support and opportunities for disabled people, including:

• Scope – provides a range of employment services, including the Support to Work programme, which offers free online and telephone support for disabled people in England and Wales seeking paid work.
• Evenbreak – job board for disabled people, offering career support and connections to inclusive employers
• Mencap – supports people with learning disabilities to find work
• Leonard Cheshire – helps people with disabilities find and keep work through different programmes
• Ambitious about Autism – offers work experience placements for people with autism

Author: Muscular Dystrophy UK

Last reviewed: June 2025
Next review due: June 2028