Reasonable adjustments for dyslexia can include assistive software (speech-to-text, screen readers), extra time, verbal and written instructions, and flexible deadlines that employers must provide under the Equality Act.
The adjustments you can ask for
There is no fixed list, because dyslexia affects each person differently and adjustments are worked out for you, not from a template. Acas and the British Dyslexia Association set out the changes people most often request:
- Assistive software: text-to-speech and screen readers, speech-to-text for dictating instead of typing, and a modified spellchecker.
- How information reaches you: instructions given verbally as well as in writing, and tasks broken into clear, ordered steps rather than one dense email.
- Time: extra time to read and complete tasks, documents issued earlier, and flexible or extended deadlines for text-heavy work.
- Documents: a coloured background or coloured paper, and overlays or anti-glare filters that make text easier to read.
- Where you work: a quieter workspace with fewer distractions, and home or hybrid working where the role allows it.
This is your employer's legal duty, not a favour
Adjustments like these are a legal duty on your employer under the Equality Act 2010, not something granted at their discretion. The duty has three parts: change a working practice that puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage, deal with physical features, and provide auxiliary aids such as accessible-format information (section 20). The duty applies from the recruitment stage too, so you can ask for adjustments as a job applicant, and your employer cannot make you pay towards them.
You also do not need a formal dyslexia diagnosis to ask. Protection turns on the Equality Act's test, a long-term, substantial effect on normal day-to-day activities, assessed for you as an individual (section 6). Acas confirms a worker does not need a diagnosis to be considered disabled, so do not let an employer gatekeep support behind an assessment report. Whether dyslexia counts as a disability depends on the effect on you, not on the label.
Where Access to Work fits
Access to Work is a separate government grant that can fund specialist equipment, assistive software and support workers. It sits on top of your employer's duty: GOV.UK is clear it will not pay for the reasonable adjustments your employer is already legally required to make. So it covers the higher-cost extras beyond what is reasonable for them to provide, not the basics. The grant is also reviewed each year and currently has a long assessment backlog, so treat it as something to apply for early, not a quick fix. For a fuller picture, see what Access to Work pays for.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.