- Conference
- 2024 National Higher Education Conference
- Date
- 11 October 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that disabled workers are entitled to reasonable adjustments to break down the barriers they face at work. However too many Higher Education employers continue to ignore requests for adjustments or to refuse them.
Conference notes that case law has established that the provision of a dedicated car parking space can be a reasonable adjustment. But conference also believes that disabled workers should be exempt from staff car parking charges as a reasonable adjustment.
Conference believes that disabled people who need to use their car to get to work should not be financially penalised due to their impairment.
Conference also notes that low paid disabled workers are often denied home working and are required to attend Higher Education workplaces every day. This means their parking costs are much higher compared to higher paid non-disabled staff who have much more access to remote working.
Conference therefore instructs the Service Group Executive to work with the national disabled members committee to:
1)Encourage higher education branches to raise this issue with the employer and seek agreements on free car parking for disabled workers;
2)Consider creating bargaining advice on car parking provision for disabled workers in higher education.