Services for employers

The BDA is the leading charity in the field of dyslexia and related neurodiverse conditions, and for setting standards of professionalism for those working in the field.

In recent years, there has been a growth in the recognition that adults who have dyslexia can bring unique strengths and benefits to organisations. The BDA can offer a variety of services to assist employers with unlocking this potential by providing support within the workplace environment, thereby ensuring that employers’ responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 are met.

The full range of services and associated costs can be found in: BDA Services for Employers

We offer:

Diagnostic Assessments

The only way to really know whether someone is dyslexic is through a Diagnostic Assessment. We recommend that employers offer this assessment for any staff 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.

To find out more, contact: assessments@bdadyslexia.org.uk

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‐formal interview with an experienced workplace needs assessor to look at their specific job role, and the specific difficulties that they have as a result of their dyslexia.

The assessor will also consider the working environment and the specific concerns and requirements of the organisation before making recommendations for reasonable adjustments.

To find out more, contact assessments@bdadyslexia.org.uk

Training

Dyslexia awareness training for managers and colleagues is often very beneficial 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 effective 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 fit your specific needs. Onsite training courses often work out considerably cheaper “per‐head” than our Open Courses for groups of 8 or more, allowing you to train a larger number of staff within your available budget. They also have the additional benefit 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 offer an accredited Level 4 Workplace Needs Assessor Award. This is an effective 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 specific nature of the work undertaken.

Developing internal staff’s 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 effective solution. This programme is available either via face‐to‐face training or as an eLearning programme.

Contact: training@bdadyslexia.org.uk to find out more