Case Study 3C is working at a college specifically for disabled people, where she studied. She has multiple impairments with access requirements which have been described as complex and she lost a previous job directly as a result of her employer being unwilling to accommodate her requirements: ‘my employer just said they didn’t have the money to support my level of needs and it would be best for me to seek another job better suited to my level of needs’. After a year of being refused jobs due to her communication and other support needs, C went onto Incapacity Benefit. Her Disability Employment Advisor told her about a college for disabled students that may be suitable and C completed a four year course. This was despite facing a huge number of difficulties with the college not having the right equipment to provide equal access for C, and her having no information about the support and funding that might be available to her. She wanted the opportunity of a work placement to prove to an employer that she had abilities and skills and could be valuable to an organisation. Unfortunately, ‘after many failed times of trying to get a work placement the college offered me a work placement at the college which disappointed me a lot as I didn't feel that I had anything to prove to the college and I therefore missed my chance of getting a job’. Soon after finishing the course, C received a ‘phone call from the college, offering her a job there. There was no interpreter support at her interview. C was offered a job at a lower level than she would have liked since the college felt this was more appropriate given her ‘level of disability’. C had been working at the college for two months before having her Access to Work interview and it was a further month before the support requested was authorised and available. There are still difficulties due to the inflexible attitudes and approach of the college. For example, Access to Work have provided a tablet PC with wireless capability but the College are worried that this might compromise the security of their network and are insisting that C only accesses the system via a cable which places restrictions on where she can work. Of Access to Work, C says that the system did work for her, even though there were delays. ‘I wouldn’t have been able to return to work without the equipment bought for me by Access to Work and it has helped with my job’. But she remains shocked at the level of ignorance at the college, especially given that they are a provision for disabled people. Moral of the story Don’t assume that organisations which have a focus on disability and disabled people will have complete information about the support available to you. NEWSFLASH 
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