As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, we spoke with Beverley Goldberg, who is a Senior Research Nurse. Bev is disabled and has reasonable adjustments in her position at the Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility which have made a big difference to her working life.
“I am in renal failure, which in particular affects my energy levels,” Bev says. “Working with the rest of my team, I’ve been allowed to cut my hours and work four days a week. Wednesday is my rest day. I also work from home two days a week to reduce travelling, as travelling really adds to my fatigue.”
Bev says that being offered the opportunity to work from home two days a week is the best thing her manager has done when supporting her with her disability. “Having two days where I do not need to get up early and travel really helps,” she says. “But I also really enjoy going in to work alongside everyone else. When I go in, everyone makes sure I am doing okay – they look after me so well!”
The support from her senior staff and her team has been life-changing for Bev, allowing her to keep doing meaningful work at the research facility without having to risk any further detriment to her health. “I think that acceptance is the most important change that we need, so that we can reduce the barriers faced by disabled people,” Bev says. “If there’s more acceptance to people who may be having a difficult time doing the job, and there’s support for those people, they are more likely to stay in work and keep doing what they love.”
Overall, Bev has nothing but positive words for her experience of requiring additional support in the workplace. “I feel extremely lucky to have the support of my senior staff and my team,” she says. “They never make me feel like I’m a burden.”
NHS Lothian is a Disability Confident employer, and we are proud to celebrate Disability Pride Month.
For more information about how to ask your employer for changes to help if you’re disabled, please visit citizensadvice.org.uk.
