€30,000 for visually impaired DSP worker
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has welcomed what it describes as a “significant” decision by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in a discrimination case.
IHREC client Paul Hill, who has a visual impairment, had brought a case against his employer, the Department of Social Protection (DSP), alleging discrimination on the grounds of disability arising from a failure to provide reasonable accommodation.
The WRC found that Hill had been subjected to discrimination from 2012 to 2024 and awarded €30,000 in compensation.
Inaccessible materials
During the adjudication process, the WRC suggested that a working group be established to address his needs.
IHREC said that, while some measures were introduced, “significant concerns” remained.
These included the allocation of an office space in a separate building from Hill’s team, delays in the implementation of ergonomic recommendations, and continued issues with inaccessible materials at mandatory training and other work events.
Compliance ‘not optional’
IHREC chief commissioner Liam Herrick said that the decision underscored 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,” he stated, adding that the ruling sent “a clear message to employers” that compliance could not be delayed nor treated as optional.
In a statement, Hill said that he had spent more than 12 years seeking what he described as “relatively straightforward” supports.
“These are not complex or excessive measures, but basic adjustments that should have been in place from the beginning,” he stated.