Have you experienced Discrimination because of your disability?
Learn more about your rights and how to make a complaint
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) today welcomes a significant decision by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in favour of its client, Paul Hill, in a case against his employer, the Department of Social Protection (DSP). It is a case concerning discrimination on the grounds of disability and a failure to provide reasonable accommodation.
Mr Hill, who has been employed by the Department since 2012, has a visual impairment and requires reasonable accommodation to perform his role. This includes access to assistive technology such as ZoomText, appropriate screen equipment, suitable office lighting, and advance provision of materials for training and work-related events.
In January 2023, Mr Hill lodged, with the support of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS), a complaint under the Employment Equality Acts, alleging discrimination arising from a failure to provide reasonable accommodation. The WRC found that he had been subjected to discrimination from 2012 to 2024 and awarded €30,000 in compensation.
In 2024, during the adjudication process, the WRC suggested that a working group be established to address Mr Hill’s needs. While some measures were introduced, significant concerns remain. These include the allocation of an office space in a separate building from his team, delays in the implementation of ergonomic recommendations, and continued issues with inaccessible materials at mandatory training and other work events.
The finding of discrimination against the Department of Social Protection is particularly notable in light of the Department’s role in providing the State’s Work and Access Programme (formerly the Reasonable Accommodation Fund) which is designed to support employers to provide reasonable accommodation to employees.
Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of IHREC, said:
“This decision underscores the fundamental obligation on employers to provide appropriate and timely reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. It is deeply concerning that it took over a decade for these issues to be formally recognised and addressed. Workplace discrimination of this nature is unacceptable. This ruling is an important affirmation of rights and sends a clear message to employers that compliance cannot be delayed or treated as optional.”
Paul Hill said:
“I have spent more than 12 years seeking relatively straightforward supports to allow me to do my job. These are not complex or excessive measures, but basic adjustments that should have been in place from the beginning. While I welcome the outcome, it is difficult to reflect on the impact of having to fight for so long to have such rights recognised and upheld.”
Paul Malone, Deputy General Secretary, AHCPS, said:
“The AHCPS warmly welcomes this decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, which sends a clear and unambiguous message to employers across the Civil and Public Service. The obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for staff with disabilities is not optional — it is a legal and moral imperative. Our member Paul Hill, pursued this case with courage and determination, and this ruling vindicates both his rights and the principle that every worker deserves to be supported to perform their role to the best of their ability, regardless of disability. We call on all public sector employers to take this judgment seriously and to conduct an immediate review of their policies and practices around disability accommodation. Fine words in equality statements count for nothing if they are not matched by meaningful action on the ground. The AHCPS will continue to stand firmly alongside any member who faces discrimination or whose rights under equality legislation are not upheld.”