I am very impressed and grateful for the service I received! I do feel that 'if you don't ask, you don't get' - people need to do their own research and come up with their own solutions and ATW will consider a well argued case
What can Access to Work Do?
Fund communication support if you need it at a job interview
Meet up to 100% of the costs of making reasonable adjustment needed to make sure you can work in an organisation when you get a new job, or if you’ve been in your job for less than 6 weeks
I used to have to raise charitable funds to pay Sign Language Interpreters when I worked in the voluntary sector but now there’s AtW!
Meet up to 80% of the costs (after the first £300) of making reasonable adjustment needed to make sure you can keep working in an organisation or in your business if you acquire an impairment
I have used ATW when working full time, approximately seven years and now I’m back to part time working. Delivery of equipment initially was slow (1995) but this time (2006) it all worked quite quickly - application, assessment and installation of equipment. In both instances the end result has enabled me to work with my visual impairment. Equipment provided has been a video reader (CCTV), large computer screen and keyboard plus Zoomtext Xtra software.
Meet up to 100% of the costs of meeting your access requirements relating to your work if you are self-employed
I started being self-employed six years ago, and immediately applied for AtW funding for help with starting the business in terms of office equipment.
They were really good and helpful - it was clear that officers were 'on my side', as it were, and agreed a significant amount of support around computer hard and software and office equipment.
Offer you and your employer advice on ways to manage your impairment at work
Offer your employer advice on re-designing your job so that you can work effectively
Fund training to help you work effectively, for example in software packages you need specifically because of your impairment
Offer a tailored package of support rather than off the shelf solutions
When I am more in pain and tired I have the comforting knowledge that I do not have to struggle home by public transport and with a long day at work it helps me get through the day
It took them some time to understand that I only use interpreters in certain situations so for months of general office work I would not use interpreters and then use interpreters 9-5 for two weeks when I was running a training course. Once they understood this they were fine. They also paid very quickly and when I moved to self-employment this was very important for cash flow reasons. Access to work also paid for sign language interpreters for a professional training course I did in the south of France. This took a lot of arranging and discussion but I am very grateful for their support
Provide funding which is for 3 years in the first instance
Because of ATW support , I am able to carry out my job and employ 12 people, paying around £10,000 a month in taxes so it makes perfect economical sense, as without ATW I would probably be on benefits being a drain on the economy. Thus in theory ATW actually is very beneficial to the economy as you generate much more jobs with both the disabled person and the support worker as well getting them off benefits. If the system is tweaked well, and run more effective this will only benefit the country as a whole.
What Access to Work Can’t Do
Fund expenses which your employer would have anyway, whether you were disabled or not. These are called general business expenses. If the funding supports something which has a general business benefit for the organisation, then the employer will have to share the cost
Fund general business expenses if you are self-employed - the money only relates to extra costs incurred because of your impairment. This is called additionality.
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