Access to Work is meant to remove barriers. So why are Deaf workers still facing them?
- Deaf Umbrella
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Access to Work (AtW) is one of the most important government schemes supporting disabled people in employment in the UK.
For Deaf professionals in particular, it can make the difference between being excluded from the workplace and having equal access to do their job.
When it works, AtW enables Deaf employees to contribute fully and confidently in their roles.
At Deaf Umbrella, we’ve supported Deaf professionals with AtW for nearly 25 years. We’ve seen how transformative it can be when the system works well.
But we’ve also seen the reality when it doesn’t.
And recently, some changes and patterns have raised understandable concerns within the Deaf community.
The Latest Change: No More Email Replies
From March 2026, AtW emails will be sent from a central mailbox that does not accept replies.
If someone needs to respond, provide information, or ask a question, they must now either:
• Phone
• Write by post
For many people, this might seem like a minor administrative change.
For Deaf BSL users, it’s not.
Telephone communication is often inaccessible. Even when Video Relay Services are available, they are not always practical for detailed or time-sensitive conversations about funding, renewals, or workplace support.
Post is slow and introduces additional delays.
Written communication has always been the most accessible and reliable way for many Deaf people to interact with AtW.
The good news is that email can still be requested as a Reasonable Adjustment. But that requires individuals to know their rights and actively request it.
Not everyone will know to do that.
When the System Creates the Barrier (with real examples)
Over the years, Deaf employees and employers have shared many experiences that reveal how small administrative decisions can unintentionally create bigger barriers.
For example:
Advisors phoning Deaf clients instead of using accessible communication
Voicemails being left for Deaf people who cannot hear them
Cases being closed because someone did not respond to a message they never received
Delays in processing changes of circumstances, leaving Deaf employees without adequate support
Confusing or inconsistent advice leading to insufficient workplace adjustments
None of this happens because AtW isn’t important.
It happens because the system sometimes struggles to deliver accessibility consistently.
The Ripple Effect in the Workplace
When AtW processes slow down or break down, the impact spreads quickly:
Deaf employees may suddenly find themselves without interpreters or communication support.
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Supportive employers can feel frustrated when adjustments take months to approve.
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Less supportive employers may simply decide the process is too complicated.
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In the worst cases, a scheme designed to enable employment can unintentionally make it harder to sustain.
AtW remains one of the most valuable workplace support schemes in the UK.
Without it, many Deaf professionals would simply not have equal access to meetings, training, or day-to-day communication at work.
That’s why the goal isn’t criticism. The goal is improvement.
Because when AtW works well, everyone benefits:
• Deaf employees succeed in their careers
• Employers retain talented staff
• Workplaces become more inclusive
• The economy benefits from skilled professionals staying in work
Accessibility should never require people to fight the system designed to support them.
Clear communication. Consistent processes. Accessible contact methods.
These are not complicated ideas. They are simply the foundation of equal access.
After 25 years working alongside Deaf professionals and employers, one thing remains clear: Access to Work can be life-changing.
But accessibility must apply to the system itself, not just the support it funds.
When policy decisions unintentionally make communication harder, the people most affected are the very people the scheme was designed to support.
And that’s why conversations like this matter.