Disability Equality and Inclusion Training

An employer can apply for funding to arrange and pay for Disability Equality and Inclusion Training for their staff.

How to qualify

Work and Access supports Disability Equality and Inclusion Training for employers/organisations, and the criteria below must be met.

An employer/organisation can use this support if they:

• are a non-public sector employer
• have a paid workforce
• want to undertake staff training and development to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace
• want to deliver an inclusive and user-friendly service for customers with disabilities

Training courses

The training courses should be tailored to address the specific needs of a workplace, see training options below for more details.

Examples of eligible costs include:

• external training programmes or courses
• in-house training by external trainers
• Open Learning or online training programmes
• materials needed for the training courses (for example: manuals, access to online resources)

The trainer(s) should have:

• relevant qualifications and/or experience
• an understanding of the social model of disability
• extensive knowledge of disability policy issues
• experience or awareness of disability and inclusion
• have a disability or have developed their training programme in consultation with people with disabilities

Training options

1. General Disability Equality and Inclusion Training must include:

• information to increase awareness and understanding of people with disabilities, the social model of disability and the concepts of disability equality
• an overview of the relevant anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation, and the rights of people with disabilities to equal treatment in employment, including the provision of reasonable accommodation measures
• information on people with different types of disabilities
• guidance on how to ensure respectful, accessible, and inclusive communications and interactions with people with disabilities and the use of appropriate disability language
• good practices to build understanding and skills to recognise people with disabilities as individuals with their own capacities and skills using awareness exercises that aim to address negative assumptions, stereotypes and attitudes, and
• information on effectively including people with mental health issues in the workplace

2. Disability-specific training, for example:

• ISL training for an employee where another employee or employer is Deaf
• Lámh training for an employee where another employee or employer uses Lámh to communicate
• courses explaining best practices for effectively including people with specific disabilities in the workplace, such as those with neurodiversity where an employee or employer is neurodivergent

3. Inclusive recruitment and management training for managers which must include how to:

• proactively reach people with disabilities in recruitment campaigns
• run inclusive and fair application and interview processes
• discuss disability and disclosure with a candidate or employee
• consider requests for and make reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and
• address unconscious biases

The support provides for funding of eligible training costs as follows:

• 90% of eligible costs for QQI, or other courses certified by other nationally recognised governing bodies OR
• 80% of eligible costs where the course is not approved/certified by a nationally recognised governing body

This is subject to a funding limit of €20,000 over a 12-month period for eligible training costs across the range of training options.

The employer/organisation must source their own trainer(s)

There is no pre-approved list of training providers

Apply

To apply, you must complete the Work and Access application form.

More information