Tuesday, 14 October 2025
09:00 - 13:00
(
4 hours )
Online
Failure to make reasonable adjustments is one of the most common forms of disability discrimination — and one of the most preventable. Getting it right improves retention, productivity, and inclusion, while reducing legal and reputational risk.
For HR professionals, understanding when and how to act is key. The right adjustments, made at the right time, can remove barriers and open access to a broader pool of talent. This event, in association with Lewis Silkin (NI) LPP, will provide clear, practical guidance to help you meet your legal duties with confidence and create a workplace where disabled employees can thrive.
Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders, HR Professionals, Business Owners, Trade Union Representatives and Employee Representatives.
This event is a must for HR professionals who want to build a more inclusive, high-performing workplace while staying on the right side of the law. You'll gain practical, up-to-date guidance on meeting your legal duties around reasonable adjustments - one of the most common pitfalls in disability discrimination claims - plus insights that can help you attract and retain skilled talent, boost morale, and reduce costly staff turnover.
Find out what's on the agenda for Reasonable Adjustments in the NI Workplaces.
An introduction to the day ahead, with Christine Quinn, Knowledge Partner, Legal Island.
In 2025, Northern Ireland continues to fall behind the rest of the UK when it comes to disability employment. Only 1 in 3 disabled people are in employment compared to 4 in 5 non-disabled people in NI. This significant employment gap is not due to a lack of ability or ambition. Disabled people in NI bring valuable skills, experience and potential our economy urgently needs. Yet structural, cultural and policy-related barriers persist.
Stephen McGlew, Head of Disability and Work at the Department for Communities explains:
Includes Q&A with Sephen McGlew.
Failure to make reasonable adjustments is one of the most frequent ways employers fall foul of NI disability discrimination law. Getting adjustments right and getting them in place early not only boosts retention and supports productivity, but it reduces your organisation’s legal risk. In a tight recruitment market, understanding your legal duty and the opportunities it brings is key to accessing a skilled and often overlooked talent pool.
What you’ll learn in this session with Adam Brett, Consultant Partner at Lewis Silkin (NI) LLP:
Includes Q&A with Adam Brett.
Now you understand the law but how do you make inclusion happen in real workplaces, where it counts? In this session, learn how to apply your knowledge of reasonable adjustments in everyday situations.
Jenny Stokes, Employment Support Officer from Action Mental Health provides tackles some of the most common questions employers ask, including:
This is your chance to explore the realities of making reasonable adjustments work — not just legally, but confidently and well.
Includes Q&A with Jenny Stokes.
N.B. these questions are subject to change. Please email any specific queries you have to us, and we will put them to our expert. Please email gosia@legal-island.com
Creating an inclusive workplace requires more than intent – it requires the right tools. Niamh Rainey, Employment Development Manager at NOW Group, will guide you through how social sector organisations and the Government’s Access to Work scheme can help you better support disabled and neurodivergent colleagues.
You’ll learn:
Whether you're onboarding a new team member or supporting someone already in post, this session will give you the knowledge and confidence to access the help available – and to put inclusion into action.
Includes Q&A Niamh Rainey.
Adam Brett is a Partner in Lewis Silkin NI LLP. For many years Adam jointly headed the litigation department of a major Belfast Commercial Practice, and for the last 20 years he has concentrated increasingly on employment and discrimination matters. Adam has throughout his career advised a wide range of educational and charitable bodies, including Schools, Universities, Colleges, and other educational institutions in relation to employment, student and other concerns.
Stephen leads on a range of social policy, projects and service provision that seek to support those with barriers to work to move closer to, find, retain and progress in employment.
With responsibility for the development of Disability and Work Policy for NI, Stephen is developing a new Disability and Work Strategy; Sponsors Ulster Supported Employment Limited (USEL), an ALB who specialises in supporting those with disabilities to find and retain work; has oversight for development of a range of new initiatives including ‘Trust Inclusion’; and recently led planning and delivery of the Harkin Summit Belfast.
Having joined the NICS in 2013, Stephen has worked across The NI Environment Agency; Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure; Department for Social Development; Strategic Investment Board; and currently, Department for Communities.
Niamh is an experienced Employment Development Manager with over seven years of experience in the charity sector in Northern Ireland. She specialises in supporting both employees and employers to create inclusive workplaces through effective, reasonable adjustments. Her work focuses on empowering individuals with diverse needs to thrive professionally. Passionate about equality and inclusion, she brings practical knowledge and compassionate leadership to every role.
Jenny is currently employed as an Employment Support Officer at Action Mental Health (AMH) where she plays a key role in supporting employers and employees experiencing mental health issues to sustain employment.
She has worked across both the private and social enterprise sectors and has had 20 years of experience in the learning and skills sector, having held a number of senior roles, including Assistant Principal in an FE college. Her work has consistently been underpinned by a strong commitment to fair employment and to advocating for the needs of both employers and employees.
After spending several years working in England, Jenny was delighted to return to her hometown in Northern Ireland to take up her role with AMH. This move also enabled her to support her elderly parent and disabled sister, reflecting her values of compassion and community.
