Disability, mental health conditions, and neurodiversity

The Careers Centre recognises the importance of disability and inclusivity to careers-related issues. This page focuses mostly on disability, but the Careers Centre can also support you if you are a student of the University of St Andrews from a care-experienced background or supported pathway programme, with the Employability Bursary.

In the UK (excluding Northern Ireland), the Equality Act 2010 requires employers to treat disabled people fairly, both during the recruitment process and in employment.

You are disabled under the Equality Act if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This includes depression, anxiety, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autistic spectrum disorder.

Reasonable adjustments

Under the Equality Act, employers must make reasonable adjustments for your disability, whether you are applying to an organisation or already working for one.

Examples of reasonable adjustments include:

  • being giving more time to complete any psychometric tests or written exercises during the recruitment process (read Psychometric Tests - a guide for disabled candidates (AGCAS) (Word))
  • allowing someone who uses a wheelchair to work on the ground floor of an office building
  • providing assistive technology to someone who has dyslexia
  • allowing someone with diabetes to take more frequent breaks to meet their dietary needs
  • giving someone with social anxiety their own desk, rather than requiring them to share a desk with others.

For more details on reasonable adjustments, see Acas’ reasonable adjustments page.

Meet with a careers adviser

You can meet with a careers adviser to talk through your individual situation to help you achieve your career aspirations. A careers adviser can also help you to find the most relevant support and information.

Book an appointment with a careers adviser.

The University's Disability Team can also provide advice related to your studies at St Andrews.

Being open about a disability or long-term health condition

Deciding to be open with an employer about a disability is a personal choice. The following resources aim to help you make an informed decision about how and when to be open:

You may also find it helpful to book an appointment with a careers adviser to discuss being open about a disability.

Finding internships, work experience and graduate jobs

Employers are increasingly recognising the potential of graduates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and are actively encouraging them to join their organisations. The following internship and work experience schemes are specifically aimed at students and graduates with disabilities:

See the jobs and internships pages for other work experience resources in the UK and worldwide.

Finding disability-friendly employers

The following websites have lists of disability-friendly employers:

Support organisations

The following organisations offer advice and support for people with disabilities: