dyslexiaThe Equality Act 2010 uses one word to set the threshold for disability status: "substantial." Employment tribunals have found that means more than minor or trivial, not more than severe. That distinction matters for a lot of dyslexic employees who assume they don't qualify because their assessment report used the word "mild."
Below are 7 questions in the same position: widely searched, rarely answered in plain terms. UK and US law differ on several points; both are covered.
Q1: Does mild dyslexia still count as a disability at work?
Yes. The statutory guidance on the Equality Act 2010 defines "substantial" as "more than minor or trivial" (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2011, updated 2020). Courts and tribunals have not set a minimum severity grade. If your dyslexia has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on day-to-day activities, it qualifies, whether your report calls it mild, moderate, or doesn't grade it at all.
Employment tribunals have upheld protection for employees whose dyslexia was described as "mild" in their assessment and who had worked for years in demanding roles before disclosure. The strength of your coping strategies doesn't lower the severity of the underlying difficulty; it shows you've been working harder than your colleagues to produce the same output.
In the US, the ADAAA (Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, 2008) goes further: disability status must be assessed without considering mitigating measures. So if you've built 20 years of workarounds, the employer cannot cite those workarounds as a reason to deny that you have a disability. The unmitigated effect is what counts.
The Equality Act 2010 threshold for disability. The statutory guidance (EHRC, 2020) defines it as "more than minor or trivial" (not a high bar, and not graded by the severity language in an assessment report).
If your assessment says "mild" and your employer or HR has told you that you don't meet the threshold, that's wrong. The word in your report doesn't set the legal test; the effect on your work does. You may want the reasonable adjustments builder to put your specific difficulties into a format that makes the legal case for you.
Q2: What's the difference between a dyslexia screening and a full assessment?
A screening is a short checklist-based test, typically 20 to 30 minutes, carried out by a trained assessor or via an online platform. It identifies indicators of dyslexia and produces a recommendation on whether a full assessment is warranted. Cost runs from around £50 to £150 depending on provider (Patoss, 2024).
A full diagnostic assessment is a 2 to 3 hour evaluation by a qualified specialist teacher or psychologist. It produces a formal report confirming or ruling out dyslexia, identifying specific strengths and difficulties, and often providing a standardised score for each area. Cost runs from £350 to £882 depending on assessor type and location (BDA assessments page, June 2026).
For employment purposes, a screening report isn't sufficient documentation. If your employer is asking for evidence, or if you're applying for Access to Work, you need the full diagnostic assessment. But if you're still deciding whether assessment is worth the time and money, a screening first is a reasonable step.
A screening answers "should I get assessed?" A diagnostic assessment answers "do I have dyslexia and what form does it take?" Only the second produces a document that carries weight with employers, universities, or Access to Work. If you want to explore whether the cost is worth it, the dyslexia assessment cost guide covers the full breakdown and the reimbursement routes.
Q3: Can my employer tell my colleagues I have dyslexia?
No, not without your consent. Under UK GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018, health and disability information is special category data, which carries stricter rules than standard personal data.
Your employer can share it internally only to the extent necessary to fulfil their duty to make reasonable adjustments. That usually means your line manager and the relevant HR contact. A team manager who needs to implement a specific adjustment (say, sending meeting agendas 24 hours in advance) may also legitimately know. But your wider team, other departments, and anyone who isn't directly involved in supporting your adjustments does not have a legitimate need to know.
Wider disclosure without your permission is a UK GDPR breach. It may also breach the implied term of mutual trust and confidence in your employment contract, which is a separately actionable wrong. If your manager disclosed your dyslexia to colleagues without your consent, that's worth raising formally in writing.
In the US, the ADA requires that medical information about employees be kept confidential and stored separately from general personnel files. Supervisors may be told about restrictions and necessary accommodations, but only on a strict need-to-know basis. Broader disclosure is an ADA violation.
When you make your initial disclosure, state in writing that you're disclosing to your line manager and HR only, and that you don't consent to wider disclosure without your explicit agreement. Put that in the same email you use to request adjustments. It sets the boundary clearly before anyone assumes they can tell the team.
Q4: My employer removed my dyslexia adjustments. Can they do that?
An employer can review adjustments if your role genuinely changes, but they can't remove established adjustments without discussing it with you first. The Equality Act 2010 duty is ongoing, not a one-time obligation met at the point of disclosure.
If your adjustments disappear without any conversation, that's a failure to comply with the continuing duty, which is a form of disability discrimination under s.21 of the Act. The most common scenarios are: a manager leaving and the new one not honouring the agreement, a software or system change removing a tool without a replacement, or budget pressure leading someone to quietly stop funding something that was agreed via Access to Work.
The first move is to document what you had and when it was removed, then write to HR or your line manager asking for reinstatement and requesting a written response. Keep it factual. If they refuse without a legitimate reason (such as your role changing substantially), you have grounds for a formal grievance. If the grievance fails, ACAS early conciliation is the required first step before any employment tribunal claim, and it's free.
The moment adjustments disappear, start a written record. An email to HR saying "I note that X adjustment, which was agreed on [date], is no longer in place: could you confirm the reason and timeline for reinstatement?" creates a paper trail. You need that document if this escalates.
Q5: Can I carry my Access to Work award to a new employer?
You need to reapply for Access to Work when you change employer. The grant doesn't transfer automatically. But your prior documentation carries over: a diagnostic assessment report and workplace needs assessment from a previous role significantly speed up the process at a new one.
The Access to Work Tech Fund also applies at the start of any new role. For employees who've been in post for under 6 weeks, it covers 100% of assistive technology costs with no employer co-payment (DWP, 2026). That's the best-value window to get equipment funded, and it applies regardless of how large your new employer is.
One thing to check: if Access to Work funded software licences or subscriptions tied to your previous employer's systems, you may need new licences at the new employer. Software bought via your own AtW grant that isn't employer-specific typically follows you. Check the specifics in your original grant letter rather than assuming.
Apply for Access to Work before your first 6 weeks in the new role close. Use your existing documentation and specify which tools you already know work for you. The Access to Work calculator helps you estimate the award before you apply, so you know what you're asking for.
Q6: How much evidence does my employer need before agreeing to adjustments?
Much less than most employers ask for. Under the Equality Act 2010, the duty to make reasonable adjustments arises when the employer knows or ought reasonably to know about the disability. That's the trigger: knowledge. A formal diagnostic certificate is not the trigger.
Your employer can ask for evidence, but they can't make an adjustments request conditional on you producing a specific document. If you've disclosed your dyslexia and described how it affects your work, they already have the information the law requires them to act on. Refusing to make any adjustments until a report arrives is likely a breach of the duty under s.20 of the Act.
A formal workplace needs assessment, funded in full by Access to Work at no cost to you, produces a report that carries professional authority and tends to get adjustments agreed faster. Employers who hesitate to act on your self-disclosure rarely hesitate when an external specialist's report arrives. The report also justifies the tools, which Access to Work then funds.
If your employer is stalling and asking for more evidence before acting, write to them citing Equality Act 2010 s.20: the duty arises on knowledge of the disability, not on receipt of a certificate. Apply for a workplace needs assessment via Access to Work at the same time. Both tracks work together.
Q7: Can I ask for interview adjustments without disclosing to the whole company?
Yes. The request goes to the recruiter or the hiring HR contact. It doesn't trigger company-wide disclosure, and you don't need to name your specific condition to ask for something concrete.
A practical way to frame it: "I have a disability that affects reading speed under time pressure. I'd like to request 25% additional time for any written test, and written versions of any questions I'll need to respond to verbally." That's specific enough to be actionable and doesn't require you to say the word dyslexia if you'd rather not at that stage.
UK law: Section 60 of the Equality Act 2010 bans pre-offer disability enquiries from the employer's side, but you can volunteer information to request adjustments. The employer cannot use information you share in order to request an adjustment as a reason to screen you out. If they do, that's unlawful direct discrimination or a breach of s.60 itself.
US law: ADA Section 12112(d) applies the same principle. You can request interview adjustments (additional time, a written format, a quiet room) without triggering the full reasonable accommodation process that applies post-offer. And the employer cannot use your request against you in the hiring decision.
The key risk at interview stage is being vague. "I might need some support" prompts the recruiter to flag you as a question mark. A specific request ("25% additional time for the written exercise") prompts them to make one phone call and confirm it's done.
If you need something different from the standard process, ask for it specifically and early. Concrete requests get granted. Vague flags create hesitation. Use the disclosure guide to work through whether to name your diagnosis at application stage or wait until after the offer.