Under Ireland’s Work and Access programme, the employer applies for a Workplace Needs Assessment using form WA2, and the employer is the one who has to find an assessor. There is no approved list to choose from. For HR and occupational health teams that have not used the scheme before, this guide sets out what it pays for, who can carry out the assessment, and what must happen before anything is bought.
What Work and Access is
Work and Access is run by the Department of Social Protection. It is described as a set of supports to help disabled people get a job or stay in work. The Department’s 2023 review of its earlier schemes recommended combining the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme into a single flexible scheme, and Work and Access is the programme its pages now describe. Some of the supports are applied for by the individual, using form WA1, and some by the employer, using form WA2.
The employer-facing supports are the Workplace Needs Assessment, In-Work Support, Workplace Adaptation, and Disability Equality and Inclusion Training. Eligible employers include private sector firms, community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit organisations and commercial semi-state bodies. The employee must work in the Republic of Ireland, outside the public sector, and the scheme sets out further conditions for individuals, including age limits and evidence of a disability or health condition that is expected to last more than twelve months.
What the Workplace Needs Assessment covers
The Workplace Needs Assessment is the starting point. The scheme pays up to €2,500 towards the cost of a specialist assessing what an employee needs in their workplace, including travel and subsistence for the assessor. Where the employee or the assessor needs Communication Support or Irish Sign Language, up to ten hours can be funded for the assessment itself. VAT is not included in the payment, as employers may be able to reclaim it.
The guidance says very complex cases requiring significant time and input should be at the upper end of the figure, so employers should not assume that every assessment will be funded at the full amount.
The assessment matters for another reason. In-Work Support and Workplace Adaptation can only be applied for if a Workplace Needs Assessment has been completed and has recommended them. In practice, the assessment report is the document the rest of the application rests on.
What the other supports are worth
The figures below are the limits stated on the Citizens Information page for Work and Access, last edited on 27 August 2026. Approval of eligibility does not guarantee funding, so they are ceilings and not entitlements.
| Support | Limit stated by the scheme | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace Needs Assessment | Up to €2,500, plus up to 10 hours of Communication Support or ISL | A specialist assessment of what the employee needs to do the job |
| In-Work Support | Up to €12,500 a year | A specialist support worker, if the assessment recommends one |
| Workplace Adaptation | Up to €25,000 | Equipment, technology or changes to business premises, if the assessment recommends them |
| Disability Equality and Inclusion Training | Up to €20,000 a year, covering 80% to 90% of training costs | Training for the employer’s team |
Who can carry out the assessment
This is the point that catches employers out. The employer must find and engage the assessor. The scheme says the assessor should be suitably qualified or experienced, registered with a relevant professional body, with a track record in occupational evaluation or workplace assessment and an up-to-date knowledge of disability and technology. The professionals named include occupational therapists, occupational psychologists, occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, rehabilitation nurses, ergonomics specialists and chartered physiotherapists. The guidance points employers to professional bodies such as CORU, the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists to find suitable people.
There is no pre-approved list. An assessor who is a member of the employer’s own staff, or of an associated company, may carry out the assessment, but that cost is not eligible for funding.
Before booking any provider, ask for their qualifications and professional registration, and check with the Department of Social Protection whether the assessment you are commissioning can be claimed under the scheme. Eligibility for funding is decided by the Department, not by the assessor.
The rule that trips people up: approval first
Final approval must be obtained before any support is bought. Applications submitted after a purchase cannot be processed or paid. An employer that orders equipment first and applies afterwards will not be reimbursed through the scheme. The scheme is also an administrative one, so there is no right of appeal. A review by another Department officer can be requested in writing within 21 days of a decision.
How this fits with the employer’s legal duty
Work and Access is a grant. It is not the source of the employer’s duty, and a grant not being available does not remove that duty. Under section 16 of the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, an employer must take appropriate measures, where needed in a particular case, to enable a person with a disability to access employment, to participate or advance in it, or to undergo training, unless the measures would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer.
Appropriate measures are effective and practical changes to the workplace, which can include adapting premises or equipment, changing working patterns, redistributing tasks, or providing training. They do not include anything the person could ordinarily or reasonably provide for themselves. When an employer considers whether a measure would be a disproportionate burden, the Act directs it to look at the financial and other costs, the scale and resources of the business, and the possibility of obtaining public funding or other assistance. That last factor means the existence of Work and Access is relevant to the assessment of burden.
This article is general information and not legal advice. Whether an adjustment is reasonable depends on the circumstances of the individual case.
What this means for HR and occupational health
For an HR or occupational health lead, the practical steps are fairly short. Talk to the employee first, because the scheme assumes the assessment is carried out in partnership with the employer, the employee and, where suitable, their advocate. Decide who you will ask to carry out the assessment, and confirm their qualifications and registration. Submit the employer application and wait for approval before ordering anything. Keep the assessment report, because the later supports depend on its recommendations.
Sensory loss deserves particular care. A person with sight loss or hearing loss may need changes that are inexpensive but specific, such as the right screen size and contrast, lighting, a quieter working position, or a way of joining meetings that works for them. The adjustment that looks obvious is not always the right one. A larger screen, for example, can make life harder for someone whose problem is a narrowed field of vision. This is where a recommendation based on the person, the job and the workplace, and not on the diagnosis alone, saves money.
Summary
Work and Access gives Irish employers up to €2,500 towards a Workplace Needs Assessment, but the employer must find a suitably qualified assessor, there is no approved list, and nothing should be bought before approval is in place. The assessment unlocks the larger supports, so it is worth doing carefully. The legal duty sits with the employer under the Employment Equality Acts, and the availability of public funding is one of the things the law asks an employer to consider.
Watch the short film
This short film follows an employee with sight loss whose line manager says they must know what they need. They did not know what was available, so a workplace assessment looked at their job and workplace, showed options they had never heard of, and they chose what worked together with their manager. The film lasts under a minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
The scheme pays up to €2,500 towards the assessor's cost, including travel and subsistence, plus up to ten hours of Communication Support or Irish Sign Language if needed. Higher amounts are intended only for very complex cases.
The employer finds the assessor, and there is no pre-approved list. The scheme expects the assessor to be suitably qualified and registered with a relevant professional body. Confirm funding eligibility with the Department of Social Protection before booking.
No. Final approval must be obtained before a support is bought. Applications submitted after a purchase cannot be processed or paid.
The duty comes from the Employment Equality Acts, not from the grant. Whether an adjustment would be a disproportionate burden depends on the circumstances, and the law asks the employer to consider the availability of public funding. Seek legal advice on a specific case.
Private sector firms, community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit organisations and commercial semi-state bodies are listed as eligible, along with self-employed people. Employers must also have a tax clearance access number.
If you or someone in your team is visually impaired, deaf or has hearing loss and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, visit https://visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/workplace-assessments/ to arrange a workplace assessment.
Sources
Citizens Information, Work and Access employment programme (edited 27 August 2026): https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment-and-disability/work-and-access-programme/
Department of Social Protection, Work and Access (updated 7 October 2026): https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/services/work-and-access/
Department of Social Protection, Operational Guidelines: Work and Access: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/publications/operational-guidelines-work-and-access/
Employment Equality Act 1998, section 16 (revised act): https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/1998/act/21/section/16/revised/en/html
Disability and reasonable accommodation, employer factsheet: https://www.ihrec.ie/guides-and-tools/human-rights-and-equality-for-employers/what-does-the-law-say/disability-and-reasonable-accommodation