A local College offers courses in agriculture, including a practical course in tree surgery. A medical questionnaire shows that an applicant, John, has a medical condition (epilepsy uncontrolled by medication) which might mean that it is unsafe for him to do the course. Because of this, the course staff asked for further medical evidence and conducted a risk assessment. The result showed that John would not be able to complete many elements of the course and might pose a danger to himself or others, and so the College rejected his application. The College sent him information about a range of other agricultural courses on offer, and John later enrolled on, and successfully completed, a course on garden design.

Remember, the experience of disability is highly individualised, and people with the same impairment may have very different needs when it comes to making adjustments to practice. It is really important to have a discussion with the disabled person themselves about what their particular needs – and solutions – might be.