NIACE^definition has included this section of the toolkit in response to direct feedback from employers who indicated that they would find some descriptions of disabilities helpful. The descriptions include potential strengths of apprentices with these disabilities, examples of the types of support that they might find useful, and details of organisations which can help employers to implement any additional assistance.

The descriptions included in this section of the toolkit are not intended to be considered as providing a one-size-fits-all approach to how best to support an apprentice with a particular disability in the workplace. Some conditions or disabilities can fluctuate, while others may be static or progressive. Also, some apprentices may have more than one disability but this should not act as a barrier to their participation in the workplace. It is important to see each apprentice as an individual and regularly review the support they have in place.

It is important to remember that disabled people are not defined by their disabilities in isolation. It is perfectly possible, of course, for a disabled person to experience barriers relating to other protected characteristics that they might have, including their race, gender or age, for example. This may lead to disabled people experiencing ‘double discrimination’. The best way to address these issues is to engage the disabled apprentice in meaningful dialogue during each stage of their employee journey, just as you would with other colleagues.

It is crucial that line managers or other appropriate employees have a one-to-one conversation with a disabled apprentice to find out whether their disability or long-term and/or progressive health condition will affect their experience of work and, if so, what support they would find useful. 

The descriptions of disabilities have been listed in alphabetical order.