Disability Passports in the Workplace

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Conference
2019 National Disabled Members' Conference
Date
9 July 2019
Decision
Carried

Many of our members are not receiving the reasonable adjustments they need in the workplace environment, whether it be removing physical barriers or providing additional support for a disabled employee to protect against substantial disadvantage.

A way to encourage the introduction and continuous support of reasonable adjustments would be a disability passport document. A disability passport provides a framework for discussion with a manager and disabled employee regarding the support required for that disabled employee. This passport would remain part of the disabled employees employment and therefore would also provide added support when changing roles within an organisation or when a line manager changes; often very anxious times for a disabled employee.

The TUC and GMB have produced a Reasonable Adjustments Disability Passports document, however we feel this is less than satisfactory, focussing on the Medical Model of Disability rather than the Social Model of Disability and therefore has the potential of putting our members wellbeing at risk and giving employers the wrong impression regarding language and method of handling such a delicate issue.

Branches need further information, documentation and support to advocate and help our members further in asking, gaining and keeping reasonable adjustments.

Disability passports are not a new subject for this conference but one we feel is incredibly important and could make considerable positive impact for our members, stewards and branches.

Conference therefore calls upon the NDMC to:

1)Create a Disability Passport Document, focussing on the Social Model of Disability.

2)Upon creation, spread awareness of such a passport to Regions and Branches including explaining the need for such passports and a guide/useful information regarding implementation within the workplace.