24 Jun 2025
Glen Cousquer BSc(Hons), BVM&S, CertZooMed, MSc(Outdoor Education), MSc(Education Research), PhD, SFHEA, MRCVS looks into a joint report and its call for improved inclusion of disabled colleagues within the veterinary industry.
Image: Drazen / Adobe Stock
The RCVS and British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BVCIS) report on the experiences of veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and vet and vet nursing students with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities provides us with an opportunity to take a long, hard look at workplace culture and the health of our profession.
This article considers the findings of the report and pays particular attention to the call made for the improved inclusion of disabled colleagues within the veterinary professions, and for awareness to be raised of the need for greater understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and reasonable adjustments.
Having considered these findings, this article takes a closer look at adjustments and how these can be better used to support those with disabilities and chronic illness, including those of us returning to work after succumbing to work-related stress and/or other work-related mental health conditions.
The joint RCVS and BVCIS reports are the result of a professions-wide survey launched to explore the experiences of those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental health conditions and neurodiversity, as well as attitudes towards them in veterinary work and education.
The survey received 3,411 responses from veterinary professionals and students with and without disabilities between May and June 2023.
The research was published during Disability Pride Month, a worldwide event that originated in the US to commemorate the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990. England, Scotland and Wales have a similar law that was passed in 1995 called the Disability Discrimination Act, which was itself replaced by the Equality Act in 2010.
The RCVS has published both a full and a summary report on its website, together with a news item sharing key findings and recommendations.
Some of the key findings of the report were:
This makes for sobering reading. At the same time, this also feels like a breakthrough and a welcome invitation to tap into the widely reported commitment to make workplaces safer, more welcoming, compassionate and inclusive. Gurpreet Gill, the RCVS leadership and inclusion manager, noted that “the overwhelming feeling is that there is good will and a desire to help people out there in the professions, but sometimes a lack of understanding and knowledge on how best to do this”.
She added: “This should be taken as a call for more members of the professions to familiarise themselves with the Equality Act 2010 and its provisions.
“Under this legislation, it is unlawful to discriminate against people with protected characteristics, including disability.
“The act sets out the legal requirement for workplaces and educational institutions, among others, to make reasonable adjustments to avoid disabled people being placed at a disadvantage.”
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for their staff. A reasonable adjustment is any change an employer makes to remove or reduce any substantial disadvantage that a disabled person is subject to, compared to a non-disabled person.
The duty to make reasonable adjustments includes:
The duty to make reasonable adjustments applies if a manager becomes aware, or could reasonably be expected to be aware, that an individual has a disability, even if that disability has not been shared by the individual. Reasonable adjustments should be tailored to individual needs based on experienced barriers and may comprise one or more measures to enable colleagues to do their job to the best of their abilities.
An employer, therefore, has to take such steps as it is reasonable to take in all the circumstances to avoid that disadvantage – in other words, the employer has to make a “reasonable adjustment”.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced a series of seven guides giving advice on the responsibilities under equality law as someone who has other people working for you, whether they are employees or in another legal relationship to you. The guides look at the following work situations:
This breakdown of areas helps us all develop a richer, more nuanced understanding of how to interpret these legal requirements and ensure we evolve workplace cultures to ensure they are more inclusive. They also help us more imaginatively and empathically understand what it is like living with a disability, and how the burden of doing so should not solely be carried by the individual concerned.
This, therefore, challenges us to engage with the challenge of interpreting and realising the spirit of the Equality Act 2010 and of enacting a meaningful equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy and culture. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recognises that “an effective EDI strategy should go beyond legal compliance and take an intersectional approach to EDI, which will add value to an organisation, contribute to the well-being and equality of outcomes and impact on all employees”.
The CIPD further recognises that a key issue is ensuring that line managers are aware of their responsibilities for enabling reasonable adjustments – these adjustments are often straightforward and inexpensive, such as providing flexibility over working patterns – and have worked with the Department for Work and Pensions to create a good practice guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition.
This all echoes the findings and recommendations of the RCVS and BVCIS report, which emphasises that, “although there are systemic issues that require a shift in workplace culture, there may be some relatively ‘easy wins’. For example, improving line manger knowledge of the Equality Act and providing reasonable adjustments that are typically inexpensive and simple to implement, such as providing seating and ergonomic equipment, and rota or shift changes”.
It added: “Many changes, like flexible working, will actually benefit everyone. Most importantly, employers and educators need to make sure that those with disabilities, neurodivergence and chronic illnesses understand their rights and are given positive support to identify their needs. This means co-designing individualised adjustments and avoiding a one size fits all approach.”
This brings us round to reasonable adjustments and the need to factor in occupational health advice and, critically, to consult with the individuals concerned, who should be empowered and supported as much as possible to manage their working environment and practices.
According to ACAS, reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability; for example:
Reasonable adjustments are, therefore, specific to an individual person and can cover any area of work. It is not appropriate for line managers to presume they know the answers and there is, therefore, a need to take a humble approach and to work more collaboratively.
Historically, this is where hierarchical cultures have got it wrong: imposing their views and making it difficult, if not impossible, for people with disabilities to feel safe and confident enough to speak up.
Reasonable adjustments do not just apply to the workplace; they apply to many areas of society, and the Citizens Advice bureau provides detailed advice on how to ask for reasonable adjustments from housing providers, health care services, businesses, clubs and associations, transport providers and educational institutions.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided a detailed series of examples of reasonable adjustments to help us all understand what these may look like under a range of circumstances.
For those interested in seeking further training in this area, Human Resources Conferences UK is offering a training course on making reasonable adjustments in the workplace. This will be of interest to managers and to HR professionals. Advice is also available from union representatives, and the University and College Union guidance on reasonable adjustments provides a useful resource on this matter.
Returning to the RCVS and BVCIS report, and the clear desire to work collaboratively to address these issues and develop more inclusive workplace cultures, it feels appropriate to reiterate how important it is to work collaboratively and in partnership to better understand how to respect and support each other.
This article appeared in Vet Times (2025), Volume 55, Issue 25, Pages 18-20
