A common reasonable accommodation is to provide a support person to help an employee with certain tasks and to assist a candidate during the recruitment stage. In the case of a candidate, this can be a low-cost solution to ensure that they are given the best opportunity to demonstrate their suitability for the role.

Some employees and candidates may already have a support person in place who is able to help with certain tasks or attend interviews with them and to provide appropriate support. At the recruitment stage, help will most often come from friends or family – but this may not always be the case.

Support workers can provide assistance in a range of areas including:

• Reading
• Note taking
• Conducting administrative tasks
• Accompanying (while travelling, at interview or at work)
• Counselling/mental health mentoring
• Specialist tutoring – this could be covering dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia

When providing a support worker, be sure to source them from a recognized agency that conducts the appropriate checks and training. Imagine being dependent on someone else at an important event such as an interview and not being able to understand or trust that person – a potentially huge barrier.

There may be some funding available for in-work support. Employment Support for Persons with Disabilities is a programme supported by Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore, administered by SG Enable, to enhance the employability of and increase employment options for people with disabilities. Through this programme, employers can gain access to subsidies, grants, and employment facilitation services to help them hire and integrate people with disabilities and impairments into their organisations.