At Trinity, we follow Irish equality law when it comes to supporting disabled employees, those with long and short-term health conditions and neurodivergent employees. The law uses a very broad and inclusive definition of disability, and this informs our scope when offering supports to staff members.

Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, disability can refer to many different types of conditions, and includes those that may not be visible. This includes physical, intellectual, mental, and emotional conditions as outlined by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

Please note, you do not necessarily have to consider yourself disabled on a personal level to access support. That might be a term that you not identify with and may not feel like an accurate definition of your experience. However, below is the broad categorisation of ‘disability’ which is relevant when applying for reasonable accommodations. We recommend you review this and assess whether or not you may fit within these categories.

Under disability law, a disability can be (but is not limited to):

Physical

This is broadly defined as a condition that affects how your body works — for example, a long‑term illness, injury, or mobility difficulty. In law, this is a broad definition and includes: significant ongoing illnesses, neurological conditions, and sensory disabilities such as visual or hearing impairments.

Learning, Cognitive or Intellectual

This covers a wide range of learning or cognitive differences, including dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties that affect reading, processing information, or written communication.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or other psychological or emotional conditions are also included.

Neurodivergence

Neurodivergence refers to variations in brain functioning that affect how a person thinks, learns, communicates, or processes information. As a disability category, it includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological differences that may create barriers in traditional environments and may require reasonable accommodations.

Examples of neurodiverse conditions may include: Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s Syndrome or other tic disorders, sensory processing disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia. This not a full or comprehensive list.

Yes, you can access support even if the term ‘disabled’ does not feel as though it reflects your experience in life.

Many people who could benefit from support don’t think of themselves as disabled, and that’s completely okay. You do not have to use the word ‘disabled’ to access assistance from our Disability Service.

In Ireland, equality law uses a very broad and inclusive definition of disability, which includes physical, sensory, intellectual, mental, emotional, and learning‑related conditions, including neurodivergent conditions.

That means you may be eligible for support if you have:

• A long‑term or ongoing health condition
• A mental health condition
• A sensory impairment
• A communication or learning difference such as dyslexia
• A neurodivergent condition such as autism or ADHD

You may not view your experience as a disability and you don’t need to. What matters is whether your condition or difference affects your experience at work and whether some practical supports or adjustments could help.

Our role is to:

• Understand your needs
• Offer reasonable accommodations where appropriate
• Help remove any barriers you may face

You’re welcome to reach out even if you’re unsure, don’t have a diagnosis yet, or simply want to talk through your situation. We’re here to support how you work and thrive.

No, you do not need a formal diagnosis to reach out to us or to begin discussing support.

Our role is to understand what challenges you are experiencing and what adjustments might help.

For some accommodations, we may ask for relevant information about how your condition affects you at work (i.e. the functional impacts of your disability) — but that does not necessarily require a full diagnostic report. Irish guidance on reasonable accommodation makes clear that employers may request information about functional limitations, not just diagnoses.

You are always welcome to contact us if:

• You suspect you might have a condition
• You are waiting for assessment
• You’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing 'counts'
• You simply want to explore whether small adjustments could make work easier

There are many types of supports available to help employees carry out their work comfortably and effectively. These are called reasonable accommodations, and Irish equality law requires employers to consider and provide them for disabled individuals, unless doing so would create a disproportionate burden (such as excessive cost or significant disruption). 

Because Irish law uses a broad definition of disability (covering physical, intellectual, mental, emotional, sensory, and learning‑related conditions), a wide range of supports may be appropriate depending on individual needs.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Changes to the working environment
• Assistive technology and communication supports
• Adjustments to working patterns
• Changes to job tasks or workflows

You will meet and be contacted by our Disability Liaison Officer, Jen O’Connor. You can find her profile here:

Staff Disability Liaison Officer Staff Profile

A needs assessment meeting is a supportive, confidential conversation where we work together to understand what challenges you may be experiencing at work and what accommodations could help.

This process is part of the interactive and collaborative approach recommended in Irish reasonable accommodation guidance, where employers and employees discuss the impact of a condition and explore appropriate supports.

During the meeting, we will:

• Talk through your experience at work in a supportive, non‑judgmental way
• Explore what tasks or environments are challenging
• Discuss possible adjustments or tools
• Decide together what next steps might look like

Your medical or disability‑related information is treated as sensitive personal data and is handled with the highest level of confidentiality and protection.

Your information is only collected to:

• Understand your needs,
• Assess what reasonable accommodations may help, and
• Coordinate supports with the relevant people only where necessary.

This may include basic personal details, information about how your condition affects your work, and (if you choose to provide it) documentation from medical or allied health professionals.

Your information is shared only with the people who need it to help implement your accommodations. This may include:

• Your line manager,
• Human Resources (including HR Partners and HR Associate Partners)
• Estates & Facilities,
• Or (with your consent) relevant external professionals.

Only the minimum necessary information is ever shared. Full medical information is not shared, unless a specifically nuance circumstance absolutely requires this.  

We can meet either online or in-person. Appointments are based within the Disability Service, which can be found in Printing House Square in Trinity College Dublin.

You can follow a video to access the office here:

How to find the disAbility Hub in Printing House Square

Reasonable accommodations are practical changes or supports that help remove barriers at work so that disabled employees — including physical, sensory, intellectual, mental, emotional, or neurodivergent conditions — can perform their job on equal terms with others. Irish equality law requires employers to consider and provide these supports unless doing so would create a disproportionate burden.

A ‘reasonable’ accommodation is any change that helps remove barriers at work without causing a disproportionate burden for the employer. Irish law requires employers to take appropriate measures to support disabled employees, unless doing so would cause a disproportionate burden, typically in the form of cost or significant operational disruption.

What counts as reasonable depends on the context. Guidance in Ireland explains that factors such as cost, the size and resources of the organisation, and the nature of the job all matter when deciding what can be put in place. For example, larger organisations often have more capacity to provide adjustments than very small ones.

Most accommodations are straightforward and inexpensive, such as flexible working arrangements, adjusting non‑essential tasks, providing assistive technology, or making small environmental changes.  

It is important to note that reasonableness is not decided by one person and you don’t need to bring a fully worked out solution yourself. The law requires an interactive process, where you and your employer (supported by the Disability Service) work together to understand what would meaningfully remove barriers for you. This shared approach ensures the outcome is both effective and fair.

Reasonable accommodations are practical adjustments that help remove barriers so that staff with disabilities — including physical, sensory, intellectual, mental, emotional, and neurodivergent conditions — can perform their role effectively and safely. Under Irish equality law, employers are required to provide these supports unless doing so would create a disproportionate burden.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission notes that disability includes a wide range of physical, intellectual, mental, and emotional conditions, which means that accommodations may be needed for many different types of staff needs.

As an organisation, Trinity has several important legal responsibilities under Irish equality and employment law when supporting staff with disabilities. These responsibilities come mainly from the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015 (reviewed in 2021), which prohibit discrimination on the disability ground and require employers to take appropriate steps to support employees with disabilities

Trinity’s legal responsibilities include:

• Providing a fair, discrimination‑free workplace
• Offering reasonable accommodations
• Engaging in a supportive, interactive assessment process
• Protecting personal and medical information
• Ensuring safety, accessibility, and equal opportunity
• Preventing harassment and victimisation
• Handling disability data responsibly and lawfully

As a line manager, you play a crucial role in supporting staff with disabilities and ensuring Trinity meets its legal duties under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015. These laws prohibit discrimination and require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to staff with disabilities, including those with physical, intellectual, mental, emotional, sensory, or neurodivergent conditions.

As a line manager, you are responsible for:

• Listening and responding when staff raise concerns
• Taking part in the needs assessment process
• Helping implement reasonable accommodations
• Ensuring confidentiality and respectful handling of information
• Working collaboratively with the Disability Service and HR
• Creating an inclusive, supportive team environment

These responsibilities are central to Trinity’s legal obligations and help ensure that disabled staff can participate fully and thrive at work.

It’s not uncommon for staff to experience difficulties at work without feeling ready — or able — to disclose a disability or health condition. Irish equality law recognises that disabilities include physical, intellectual, mental, and emotional conditions, and that discrimination can occur even where an employer only assumes a disability, or where the disability is unacknowledged or undisclosed.

If a staff member seems to be struggling but hasn’t disclosed a disability, you can:

• Create an open, supportive space to discuss work‑related challenges
• Avoid probing about medical details
• Focus on barriers and adjustments, not diagnosis
• Inform them that support exists even without a diagnosis
• Offer referral to the Disability Service when/if they feel ready
• Implement simple supportive changes where appropriate
• Maintain strict confidentiality

It’s completely normal to feel unsure about how best to support disabled and neurodivergent staff. Inclusion is a skill like any other, and there are excellent, reputable Irish resources available to help you build confidence and competence.

In Ireland, several national bodies provide clear guidance on disability, inclusion, reasonable accommodations, and legal responsibilities in the workplace.

1. Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC)

IHREC provides accessible guidance on employers’ legal obligations under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, including how disability is defined, what discrimination looks like, and the principles behind reasonable accommodation. This is one of the most authoritative sources on equality law in Ireland.

Their resources are written for both employers and employees and are a strong starting point for understanding inclusive practice.

2. Employers for Change

Employers for Change offers practical, employer‑focused guidance on managing reasonable accommodation requests and creating an inclusive workplace. Their step‑by‑step materials on the accommodation process emphasise the legally required interactive approach between employees and employers, which is crucial for managers to understand. 

3. National Disability Authority (NDA)

The NDA provides research, reports, and best‑practice guidance on supporting disabled people at work, including information about the barriers people experience and how employers can address them. Their work is grounded in national policy and offers evidence‑based recommendations.

The NDA also contributes to codes of practice and national strategies on disability inclusion, making it a reliable reference point for understanding inclusive practice beyond legal compliance.

4. Trinity’s Disability Service

Within Trinity, managers are not expected to navigate disability inclusion alone. The Disability Service provides:

• Direct advice and guidance on supporting staff
• Participation in the Needs Assessment process
• Recommendations for reasonable accommodations
• Training sessions and consultation for managers

The Service also handles all sensitive disability‑related information securely in line with GDPR and provides clarity on what information managers do and do not need to know.

Supporting a staff member with a disability or health‑related need is a shared process between the staff member, the line manager, HR, and the Disability Service. Irish guidance emphasises that employers must use an interactive, collaborative process to understand needs and explore appropriate accommodations.

From a line manager’s perspective, you will only be made aware of information that is an absolute necessity for you to know. Maintaining strict confidentiality is crucial for all involved.

It’s important to note that ‘reasonable’ does not mean whatever any one individual feels is reasonable to them personally. Under Irish law, reasonable accommodations are defined through an objective, collaborative process, not individual opinion. Employers are legally required to take appropriate measures to support employees with disabilities unless doing so would impose a disproportionate burden.

Whether an accommodation is reasonable depends on factors set out in national guidance, including cost, available resources, operational impact, and the size and capacity of the organisation — not on anyone’s personal beliefs about what an employee ‘should’ be able to do.

The law also requires managers to take part in an interactive process with the staff member, where needs and options are explored together, and practical, tailored solutions are identified. The decision about what is reasonable is made in partnership, with advice from the Disability Service and HR, not by a manager acting alone.

Most accommodations highlighted in Irish guidance — such as task adjustments, flexible working patterns, or assistive technology — are low cost and easy to implement.

Your responsibility as a line manager is to engage positively with this process, ensure decisions are fair and evidence‑based, and support the implementation of agreed adjustments.