The Equality Act (2010) defines disability as:
“a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”.
‘Substantial’ here means that the effect of the impairment or disability is more than trivial. For example, it may take someone who is disabled much longer than a non-disabled individual to get dressed, or it may be that they have specific access needs e.g. transcripts of meetings, as without those it may be impossible or take much longer than it would a non-disabled individual to understand the information.
‘Long term’ is ordinarily understood to mean that the effects of the impairment are expected to last 12 months or more. There are notable exceptions to this – individuals who are diagnosed with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), HIV/AIDS, and cancer, are legally considered disabled immediately upon receiving their diagnosis, irrespective of how long their symptoms or illness have been going on.
The Equality Act (2010) states that employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled individuals which remove any substantial disadvantage or difficulties that they may face in the workplace, as a result of their disability, insofar as possible.
Lancaster University recognises that individuals with both visible and invisible disabilities might require changes to their working practices to remove such substantial disadvantages.
Reasonable adjustments can vary widely, and often the disabled individual themselves is the best guide when it comes to identifying changes that would effectively remove any barriers they encounter. By involving you in the process, we can ensure you feel supported at work and can perform your role without any adverse impact on your health.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Lancaster University commits to guaranteeing an interview to every disabled applicant who provides evidence that they meet the essential criteria of a job role.
We gather this evidence throughout your application by looking at the information you provide, such as your qualifications and supporting statements.
Supporting statements within the application system require each applicant to detail evidence, experience or knowledge surrounding different aspects of the job specification. Some examples of supporting statement prompts include:
The information and evidence you provide for these supporting statements can be pulled from any previous jobs, roles, volunteer positions, or other life experiences. It does not have to come from related or recent job experience.
Applicants who struggle with extended writing, including those with dyslexia, might find it beneficial to make use of any proofreading support they have, including from friends, family, educators or colleagues.
To discuss interview adjustments, you should contact our HR Team on +44 (0)1524 510670 (between 9:00-16:00 GMT/BST) or email: hr@lancaster.ac.uk.
Adjustments at the interview can vary from person to person but might include:
If you are unsure what adjustments might benefit you, our HR Team can advise and make suggestions, based on your disability symptoms and experiences. Emailing the team with information about how your disability might impair your interview will allow them to seek advice on your behalf, look at previous adjustments that have benefitted others, and discuss options with you in the lead-up to the interview.
Lancaster University has a range of routes for our employees to access adjustments at work, including our Reasonable Adjustment Passport system, and our Occupational Health processes.
Reasonable Adjustment PassportWhen completing your application through the Lancaster University jobs site, you will be asked Do you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010?
If you select 'Yes' to this question, you will then be prompted to provide some more information about your disability(s) and whether you'd like to exercise your right to an interview under our Disability Confident commitment.
Our Disability Confident commitment states that any disabled applicant is guaranteed an interview, provided they meet all of the essential criteria in their application.
You will also be invited to request any assistance to enable you to attend an interview, as well as providing details of the adjustments you will need.
Our HR Team will communicate any requested adjustments with the employee organising interviews, as well as checking that any Two Ticks applicants have been identified.
We do not share information of your disability with our interview panels as a matter of course, to reduce unconscious bias. However, depending on the adjustments you and other interviewees have requested, some changes may be made to the whole of the interview process, while others may be specific to yourself.
This depends entirely on the format of the interview, and the role(s) which you are applying for.
If an interview would typically involve a presentation aspect, you might request additional time to present, the option to present digitally rather than in person, or to produce a written report instead of presenting to the panel.
Every interview will involve some question-and-answer elements. In the past, interviewees have requested visual copies of the questions, or to be provided the questions before the interview to allow for preparation.
If an interview process requires an assessment or written task element, you may wish to request additional time, alternate coloured paper or screen overlays, a quiet environment, or the use of supporting materials.
Yes, once your application is completed, you are given the opportunity to save or download a copy of your full application, including your answers to supporting statements.
This also gives you access to download the job description and personal specification documents if you did not previously.
We always recommend that all applicants factor in time to review their supporting statements before an interview, to remind themselves of what they have or have not already mentioned.
You can also re-access this in the future by logging into our application portal and viewing your previously submitted applications.
For unsuccessful candidates, we typically communicate by email and provide brief feedback within. If you would like more in-depth feedback, you can respond to the email and request it.
If you have a preference for receiving responses or feedback by phone or email, you can mention this at your interview.
Service animals, such as Guide Dogs, are welcome on campus, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Equality Act 2010.
If you will be bringing a service animal with you to interview, please contact our HR Team ahead of the interview to ensure that we provide a suitable location and amenities for your animal.
Access to campus for service animals is contingent on them being appropriately trained. As such, emotional support animals will not usually be admitted to campus unless they are trained to perform medical tasks. Service animal owners may be asked by our HR Team to provide information about the animal and its tasks/duties.
