RNID research reveals that Government failures risk deaf people being shut out of workplace
RNID, the charity supporting the 18 million people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, and DeafATW, a support and campaign resource for deaf and deafblind people and BSL interpreters navigating the Access to Work scheme, has highlighted the widespread failings of a Government scheme which provides accessible workplace support.
Despite aiming to remove barriers to employment, the scheme is increasingly falling short for people who are deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users and is in urgent need of change.
The survey, which included 267 BSL users across the UK who rely on Access to Work grants for essential adjustments, such as interpreting services, revealed that securing this vital support feels more challenging than ever.
Reductions and changes to grants are having direct consequences on the BSL community. Over one third (37%) of BSL users who renewed their award said they had their grant amended, despite no change in their circumstances, resulting in many being unable to cover essential support at work like BSL interpreters, which cannot be replaced by technology or other solutions. Of those who had their grant changed, half (50%) said they did not receive a written explanation for these changes.
Access to Work has not updated its policy or staff guide to support more consistent decision‑making and does not collect data on changes made to grants at renewal or review. As a result, the scheme has no way of understanding how often support is reduced, what additional restrictions are being imposed, or the impact these decisions have on disabled people’s ability to stay in work.
Gaps in support mean that BSL users are unable to fully participate and progress in the workplace. More than two in five (41%) people said they missed training and development opportunities, and 37 per cent said they attend fewer meetings or events because they couldn’t access the support they need.
As well as grant changes, long delays in application decisions and payments are preventing people from doing their jobs. A concerning 32 per cent of respondents who have received a response waited four months or more for an outcome, and eight per cent waited over ten months. Almost one in five (19%) of people had to reduce or change how they do their jobs while waiting for their grant.
Despite being asked about their communication needs, too few people are receiving the support they need in the application process. Over one quarter (27%) said their communication needs were rarely or never met, while 42 per cent rated their overall experience with the person managing their application as poor or very poor. People told us the main problems were a lack of deaf awareness, delays and not getting information in writing.
Worryingly, one in five (20%) said they did not receive the adjustments they needed in the application process, resulting in it becoming challenging and inaccessible. Many deaf people said they were often contacted by phone about their application, even though they had clearly explained their communication needs.
Tomasz Borys, 40, London, is a coordinator for the Sign Language Interpreting Service at his local council. His role involves covering the front desk and using the telephone – tasks which require the support of a BSL interpreter. However, because there is a limit on the amount of funding he receives from Access to Work, the number of hours he gets with a BSL interpreter is limited. As a result, he can’t always carry out parts of his role, which affects both his confidence and career development.
He said: “When I do not have access to an interpreter at work, I struggle significantly. I can’t make telephone calls without one, which means I have to delay my tasks and my workload builds up.
“If I do not have an interpreter for several days, colleagues have to cover the front desk and telephone duties,and I have to focus on other tasks which are not the main part of my role. It really affects my confidence. If further changes are made such as grants being cut further, I wouldn’t be able to do my job at all.”
Robert Geaney, Head of Policy & Campaigns at RNID, said: “Our findings highlight the serious gap in support for people who are deaf BSL users in the workplace and clearly show that the Access to Work scheme is not meeting the needs of those who depend on it.
“If the scheme doesn’t provide enough funding for essential interpreter support, people whose first language is BSL cannot communicate with their colleagues or fully participate in the workplace, which can undermine people’s confidence and risks them feeling isolated, which is just not fair.
“Being able to access the tools and support needed to work is essential, not optional. Access to Work requires urgent change to be fully accessible; we want to work with the Government and the deaf community to develop the improvements needed, making sure the system is shaped by real experiences of deaf people and genuinely works for those who rely on it to work.”
RNID and DeafATW are calling for urgent action from the Government to ensure the scheme is fully accessible and meets the needs of those who are deaf or have hearing loss.
