Employer
Services for employers
The BDA is the leading charity in the 铿乪ld of dyslexia and related neurodiverse conditions, and for setting standards of professionalism for those working in the 铿乪ld.
In recent years, there has been a growth in the recognition that adults who have dyslexia can bring unique strengths and bene铿乼s to organisations. The BDA can o铿�er a variety of services to assist employers with unlocking this potential by providing support within the workplace environment, thereby ensuring that employers鈥� responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 are met.
We offer:
Diagnostic Assessments
The only way to really know whether someone is dyslexic is through a Diagnostic Assessment. We recommend that employers o铿�er this assessment for any sta铿� member who may have dyslexia. This gives the employer protection under the Equality Act 2010 and also ensures that reasonable adjustments are properly tailored to the individual so there is no waste on expenditure.
Diagnostic Assessments for Dyslexia
Workplace Needs Assessments
This assessment is designed to identify reasonable adjustments that can be implemented to support a dyslexic employee in the workplace. The employee will undertake a semi鈥恌ormal interview with an experienced workplace needs assessor to look at their speci铿乧 job role, and the speci铿乧 di铿僣ulties that they have as a result of their dyslexia.
The assessor will also consider the working environment and the speci铿乧 concerns and requirements of the organisation before making recommendations for reasonable adjustments.
Training
Dyslexia awareness training for managers and colleagues is often very bene铿乧ial in developing a greater understanding of dyslexia on both a team level and an organisation level, which in turn can improve communication and promote more e铿�ective working. Training is also sometimes a recommended reasonable adjustment following a Workplace Needs Assessment.
All of our open training courses and accredited programmes can be delivered onsite at your location. Alternatively, for an additional fee we can design a bespoke solution tailored to 铿乼 your speci铿乧 needs. Onsite training courses often work out considerably cheaper 鈥減er鈥恏ead鈥� than our Open Courses for groups of 8 or more, allowing you to train a larger number of sta铿� within your available budget. They also have the additional bene铿乼 of being delivered at a location of your choice, removing the hassle of extra travel me and costs.
To find out more about onsite training courses contact: training@bdadyslexia.org.uk
Workplace Needs Assessors Training
For those organisations that would like to develop their internal capacity to carry out Workplace Needs Assessments for their employees, the BDA can o铿�er an accredited Level 4 Workplace Needs Assessor Award. This is an e铿�ective approach for organisations as those already within the organisation are often best placed to have the greatest knowledge and understanding of how that organisation operates and the speci铿乧 nature of the work undertaken.
Developing internal sta铿�鈥檚 knowledge and understanding of dyslexia, the legal framework of reasonable adjustments, the types of reasonable adjustment available, best practise and report writing within this context can be a cost e铿�ective solution. This programme is available either via face鈥恡o鈥恌ace training or as an eLearning programme.
Contact: training@bdadyslexia.org.uk to find out more
Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Workplaces
The BDA want to work with organisations to create workplaces that are inclusive, accessible and supportive for people with dyslexia. Our quality mark provides a framework, resources and training to enable organisations of any size or shape to implement good practices for dyslexic employees. The quality mark is flexible for whatever point the organisation is at in efforts to be an inclusive and dyslexia friendly employer. If you can sign the Dyslexia Friendly Workplace Pledge, you are ready to get started.
The quality mark package includes access to resources, e-learning, live training and audit meetings. Organisations that complete the quality mark are listed on the BDA website and receive a BDA digital badge to indicate they are a Dyslexia Friendly Workplace.
Find out how the Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark works and how to get started here.