Specialist help and support

Specialist help and support is available for anyone who's managing a disability at work or supporting others.

Employment law or workplace advice

For any work-related problems or questions around disability, employees and employers can:

• contact the Acas helpline
• get legal advice
• talk to your trade union or employers' association if you're a member

For employees

If you're disabled and think you're being discriminated against or unfairly dismissed, you can:

• contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)

If you're thinking about leaving work:

• read Scope's advice on stopping work or taking ill health retirement

For employers

Employers can:

• find support with employee health and disability on GOV.UK
• read the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on supporting disabled workers

Access to Work

Access to Work is a government scheme that can help people with a physical or mental health condition or disability to get or stay in work. Someone might be eligible for:

• a grant to help pay for practical support with work
• advice about managing mental health at work

Find out more about Access to Work

Business Disability Forum

Business Disability Forum is a not for profit membership organisation that helps employers support disabled staff and customers.

Find out more about Business Disability Forum

Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident is a government scheme to help employers recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

Find out more about the Disability Confident employer scheme

Support for specific disabilities

Help with work from Macmillan Cancer – for people who have or had cancer and employers

Learning disability employment services from Mencap – for people with a learning disability and employers

Mental health support from Mind – advice and support, including a legal advice line

Advice on specific conditions on GOV.UK – advice and support for a wide range of health conditions and disabilities

Emotional support

Some employers offer support through work, for example:

• counselling or mental health support through an employee assistance programme (EAP)
• staff support networks – for example a disability network
• a mentoring scheme to support disabled people

If you need someone else to talk to, you can contact:

• Samaritans
• Scope
• Disability Information Scotland

Training and tailored support for employers

Acas offers tailored support for employers to address specific challenges in an organisation.

Our training for employers and managers includes:

• reasonable adjustments training
• equality, diversity and inclusion training
• mental health in the workplace training
• free online training – including disability discrimination and reasonable adjustments