​Accommodating different needs​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​Today we recognise disability as a part of human diversity. But what does it mean to work with disability in a way that enables a good life for ourselves and others? The City’s aim is to improve people with disabilities’ quality of life and to encourage active and positive communities.

Accommodating the needs of people with disabilities in a work space helps them become earning, active members of society. Many people with disabilities are able to do the same jobs as able-bodied people. Sometimes it’s simply that the environment or tools they will be using need some small adjustments or changes. We call these kinds of changes ‘reasonable accommodation’.

Reasonable accommodation in the workplace
Very often, only minor adjustments are necessary to make a workplace accessible for a person with a disability to ensure that he/she is an independent employee. Whether you have a disability, work with​ a person with disabilities, or employ someone with special needs, there are some very easy changes you can request or make in your workplace. 

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	Make the space more accessible by building a ramp for wheelchair access or equipping lifts with special numbering for visually impaired persons.
	Supply visually impaired employees with voice technology or magnifying software for their computers.
	Offer training material and assessment materials in electronic format or braille.
​	Re-organise workstations so people with disabilities can work comfortably and efficiently.

An employer or manager needs to understand how to support a person with disabilities – it comes down to equal rights. Along with race and gender, disability is a group designated for affirmative action in the workplace. This is enforced by the Employment Equity Act.

See the Employment Equity Act and the Employment Equity Amendment Act.

Please visit the Disability Desk FAQs​ section for more information about people with disabilities in the workplace.