Reasonable Adjustments and the Equality Act 2010
Reasonable adjustments are becoming one of the defining tests of whether an organisation is genuinely inclusive or only well intentioned.
The legal duty matters. The Equality Act 2010 is the foundation. But in day-to-day working life, the deeper challenge is implementation. Support can be discussed, recommended or even agreed, then still fail because no one owns it, records it, reviews it or follows it through.
This guide explains what reasonable adjustments are, how the Equality Act 2010 frames the duty, why organisations struggle in practice and how adjustment passports and better infrastructure can make support clearer, faster and more accountable.
It is written as a living guide from Calling All Minds. It will be updated as workplace practice, policy discussion and adjustment infrastructure evolve.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated 29 May 2026
What are reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments are practical changes that remove or reduce barriers for disabled and neurodivergent people.
They may involve changing a process, environment, working pattern, communication method, technology or support arrangement so a person is not placed at a disadvantage.
Under the Equality Act 2010, the legal duty to make reasonable adjustments is framed around disabled people. In practice, this can include many neurodivergent people where their condition has a substantial and long-term effect on day-to-day activities. This includes many people who may be considered disabled under the Equality Act.
Good reasonable adjustment practice starts with the barrier, not the diagnosis.
The implementation gap
Most reasonable adjustment guidance explains the law. That is useful, but incomplete.
In the real world, the difficulty often begins after someone asks for support. A manager may be sympathetic but unsure what they can approve. Human resources may be involved but not have a clear record. Occupational health may make recommendations that sit in a document rather than become actions. An employee may repeat personal information to different people because the organisation has no trusted route for preserving context.
The result is a gap between intention and delivery. This is why organisations need a reliable system for managing reasonable adjustments consistently.
That gap matters. A reasonable adjustment that is agreed but not implemented is not meaningful support. A passport that records a need but does not trigger action is only a document. A conversation that depends on one supportive manager can disappear when that manager changes role.
This is why Calling All Minds treats reasonable adjustments as both a human issue and a systems issue. The aim is not to make support colder or more bureaucratic. The aim is to make support less dependent on memory, goodwill and chance.
Foundations
Equality Act foundations
Under the Equality Act 2010, the duty to make reasonable adjustments is designed to remove or reduce substantial disadvantage experienced by disabled people.
In practice, the duty can relate to three broad types of barrier:
| Barrier type | What it means |
|---|---|
| A rule, process or way of working | A policy, recruitment process, working pattern or management practice places someone at a disadvantage |
| A physical feature | A building, room, layout, lighting, entrance or other physical feature creates an access barrier |
| The absence of support or equipment | A person needs assistive technology, communication support, an adapted format or another auxiliary aid |
This is why reasonable adjustments should not be treated as informal favours. They are part of how organisations make work, access and services fair in practice.
Latest developments
Reasonable adjustment practice is changing. The Equality Act 2010 remains the foundation, but workplace expectations are moving towards clearer processes, faster responses, better records and more consistent follow-through.
This guide is intended to be a living resource. Calling All Minds will update it as legal guidance, policy proposals, workplace practice and adjustment passport approaches evolve.
For organisations, this makes the case for clearer response ownership and adjustment tracking to manage adjustment requests consistently.
Current watch point: the Work and Pensions Committee has recommended a two-week response deadline for reasonable adjustment requests. This is not currently law, but it signals a wider shift towards written responses, accountability and timely action.
Solution
AXS Passport
The point is not to replace human judgement. It is to give human judgement structure, evidence and accountability.
AXS Passport is the operational solution for managing reasonable adjustments. It reduces repeated disclosure, preserves context across changes and ensures that support is recorded, owned and reviewed.
Guide chapters
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Start with the part of the guide that matches your question. Each chapter opens separately so the guide is easier to work through.
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The point is not to replace human judgement. It is to give human judgement structure, evidence and accountability.
FAQs and sources
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are reasonable adjustments? | Reasonable adjustments are practical changes that remove or reduce disadvantage for disabled people. They can relate to work, services, education, communication, technology, physical environments or support arrangements. |
| Are reasonable adjustments only for employees? | No. Reasonable adjustments can matter in employment, recruitment, education, public services and customer-facing services. The exact duty depends on the setting and facts. |
| Do reasonable adjustments only apply to physical disabilities? | No. They can apply to physical disabilities, sensory impairments, long-term health conditions, mental health conditions and neurodivergent conditions where the Equality Act definition of disability is met. |
| Can an organisation refuse a reasonable adjustment request? | An organisation may decide that a requested adjustment is not reasonable in the circumstances, but it should consider the barrier properly, explore alternatives and explain the decision clearly. |
| Do you need a diagnosis to request reasonable adjustments? | The focus should be on the disadvantage and the support needed. In some contexts, an organisation may need relevant information to understand the request, but unnecessary evidence demands can create avoidable barriers. |
| Are reasonable adjustments always expensive? | No. Many adjustments are low cost or no cost, such as written instructions, clearer priorities, flexible working patterns, agenda sharing, quieter spaces or review conversations. |
| What is an adjustment passport? | An adjustment passport is a structured record of a person's access needs, support preferences and agreed adjustments. It can reduce repeated disclosure and preserve context across changes. |
| Why does Calling All Minds talk about adjustment infrastructure? | Because reasonable adjustments often fail between agreement and implementation. Infrastructure means the routes, records, ownership, review points and systems that make support more consistent. |
Last checked: 29 May 2026.