Brief Overview of Access to Work (NI) Programme

The Department for Communities Access to Work (NI) programme can help people in Northern Ireland with disabilities who wish to take up employment or who are in work and experience difficulty related to their disability. It can also help employers who wish to recruit or retain people with disabilities in employment.

Role of Access Centre NI (AC-NI) in the Programme

AC-NI have experience in delivering a range of workplace assessments to those in employment. We are one of the stakeholders who support those visually impaired taking part in Access to Work (NI) programme. Through the Access to Work (NI) programme organisations and companies have availed of our workplace assessments for their employees. A workplace assessment is intended to identify reasonable adjustments that can be implemented to support an employee in the workplace.

The workplace assessments are carried out by our experienced and qualified assessors who will identify with the specific challenges an employee is experiencing in relation to their duties. The workplace assessment may be in relation to a variety of different disabilities that individuals may present as visually impairment.

The workplace assessments are carried out remotely or face-to-face. We are experienced at delivering assessments remotely by Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

It can also help towards the extra approved costs that arise. Personal and Business benefit are taken into account in all cases.

Support Through Access to Work (NI)

Access to Work (NI) can help towards the cost of:
• communication support for deaf people or people who have a hearing impairment and need a communicator in the workplace or at interview
• provision of special aids and equipment to suit particular work needs arising from disability
• adaptations to premises and equipment in the workplace to help an employee with disabilities
• support if practical help is needed because of a disability, either at work or getting to and from work
• travel cost support when a person with a disability incurs extra costs in travelling to and from work because of disability
• Employer support to assist employers where other additional costs arise because of disability – for example, extra ‘in-work’ travel costs, or provision of disability awareness training

Applying to Access to Work (NI)

For more information and how to apply for help through this programme:

Contact the Department for Communities or you can also contact a work coach in your local Jobs and Benefits office.