Who can advise you?
The Employment Service’s local Placing, Assessment, and
Counselling Teams (PACTs) help disabled people and
employers. Disablement Employment Advisors (DEAs) are
members of PACT teams and appointments with them can
be made at your local Job Centre. They provide advice on
local employment vacancies as well as access to various
assessment methods, rehabilitation and training. Once
you obtain a job your employer can also be given financial
assistance with adaptations to your place of work.
What about equipment?
Using good equipment and special technology can
enable you to stay in control. There have been enormous
developments in recent years and most devices you can
imagine probably already exist. Your nearest Disabled
Living Centre (DLC) will tell you about them. If your
needs are specialised the hospital occupational therapist
may help or, where commercial aids are not available
you can go to REMAP who may refer you to a local
REMAP group. These are voluntary local groups of
engineers and other specialists who can devise one-off
solutions for you.
Access to Work Programme
Under the above scheme, administered by PACTs you are
entitled to the following help:-
Equipment (or adaptations to existing
equipment) to suit individual needs
Your local PACT team can be contacted through Job
Centres listed in the telephone directory under Employment Service.
You do not have to be out of work or registered as
disabled to arrange to see a DEA. Your local Careers
Service can also be a useful source of advice in terms of
what type of work you may be suited to.
Many disabled people finding work have been able to
retain a reasonable level of income through benefits
available in work e.g. Disability Working Allowance.
Remember, Disability Living Allowance is not affected by
any earnings you may receive.
How can I convince employers I can be an
effective employee?
It is important that you stress your abilities. If you are
positive about your arthritis then the employer is more
likely to be positive about it as well.
Some people with arthritis will need to talk things
through to develop their own understanding and some-
times this support has to come from outside the family or
friends. If you get the opportunity it will also be useful to
talk to other people with arthritis. Arthritis Care’s
Information Counselling Service, Regional Staff and local
Young Arthritis Care Contacts may be able to help. So can
other disabled people’s organisations.
Disability Discrimination Act
The employment provisions of this Act became effective
in December 1996. Employers must take reasonable
measures to ensure that they are not discriminating
against disabled people in terms of recruitment, training,
promotion and dismissal. Employers with fewer than 20
employees are exempt, although they are encouraged to
follow good practice guidelines.
Into Work -
Personal Development Programme
Arthritis Care organises the Into Work Programme which
helps people with arthritis to build their confidence and
gain skills to maximise their employment prospects. Into
Work consists of a series of residential training courses
together with mentor guidance, offering a unique
programme of personal development.
What if I have to give up work?
This can be one of the most difficult experiences you will
face. It is important not to lose hope. Talk to others if you
can. You may want to consider retraining, returning to
education or applying to the Into Work programme.
See your DEA for information on what may be available.
There is an organisation which provides useful advice for
disabled people in education: SKILL, National Bureau for
Students with Disabilities can provide leaflets on educa-
tion and training, access at colleges, grants available etc.
(See
"Further Information"
for contact details of organisations.)
