Thousands of people deal with limb loss each and every year in the U.K. It is a topic that affects people of all ages, from all walks of life. Regardless of how limb loss affects you on an individual basis, it is safe to say that it is a transformative and life-changing experience with lifelong effects. 

Dealing with limb loss crosses every area of your life. An important aspect is that of work and employment opportunities. How you are able to work may be significantly changed by limb loss. You may need more adjustments and modifications at work than a fully able-bodied person. Sometimes, this might make it feel impossible to find the right job. However, this isn’t the case. Amputees and people living with limb loss can find lots of different work opportunities all across the U.K., and they can be both happy and safe in the jobs they find.

At Careers with Disabilities, we want to help both employees find these jobs and employers offer these jobs. We believe that inclusivity and accessibility in employment are important issues and we want to help.

On this page, we are going to talk more about how employees with limb loss can be supported at work and where they can find the right job opportunities. 

How Employees with Limb Loss Can Get Support

The first step to getting the support you need at work is disclosing your disability to your employer. While this might not always feel easy at first, it is critical in making sure you can get what you need. As a registered disabled person, you are legally entitled to certain types of support from your employer. However, they can only implement this support if they are aware of your disability. 

Once your employer is aware of your disability, you are able to request the reasonable adjustments you need to work comfortably. Depending on the nature of your specific limb loss or physical condition, you might require different support than someone else with the same disability. Some reasonable adjustments that you might ask for include:

  • Specialised seating
  • Modified equipment 
  • Flexible working hours
  • Remote working
  • Paid transport to work
  • Longer breaks
  • Time off for doctor’s appointments/treatment 

Whatever works for you is what works for you and it is important to make your employer aware of your situation. If they are not financially able to pay for the changes you need, you can look into the Access to Work scheme and look into specialised funding. 

Avenues of External Support

Outside of work, there are a few good options for support for people dealing with limb loss in the U.K. It is always important to make sure that you get as much support as you can and that you avail of the avenues out there for you.

The following are three of the best options for support for amputees. Check them out and see what they can offer you going forward:

Limb loss can also greatly affect your mental health and wellbeing. Losing a limb is a significant event in anyone’s life and it can be a traumatic experience. If you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling, make sure to contact your GP and find out about options in your local area. If you feel that you need help with your mental health urgently and/or you are having feelings that life is not worth living, please call the emergency services or a crisis hotline such as Samaritans. It is important to reach out when you need help. 

How Employers Can Help 

The very best thing that employers can do to help disabled employees with limb loss is to be committed to learning, training, and working towards being a Disability-Friendly certified employer. 

If you understand what goes into supporting a disabled employee and you are committed to finding out everything you need to know about how to do so, you can make a big difference in someone’s life. You can also gain many benefits for yourself and your business, which is a nice added bonus. 

Being an accessible employer is the only way forward in 2022 and beyond. We can help you on your journey. Two important places to start are our pages on the Disability-Confident scheme and reasonable adjustments. These pages will help you with the basics of what you need to know about becoming an accessible employer. Then, you can work your way up to our bespoke services for employers through which we can help you become a fully-fledged inclusive, accessible and diverse place to work. 

Being committed to change is the best way forward for everyone. 

Where We Come In

At Careers with Disabilities, we can help both employers and employees manage life with employment and disability more easily. 

For employees who are disabled and living with limb loss, we can help provide practical support and guidance for your life in employment. We can help you find an accessible employer, disclose your disability, and find out about your rights. 

Our live job board is filled with inclusive, diverse and accessible employment opportunities that can offer you the support you need at work. These jobs come from our directory of accessible companies, which you can also peruse and explore. We believe that everyone deserves to find the job of their dreams. Regardless of their physical ability, and so we want to help with that. 

For employers, we have a range of packages and services that can help you become the best inclusive employer there can be. We can help you post inclusive job adverts, promote yourself as an accessible company, connect you with a diverse pool of candidates, and more. Becoming an inclusive employer has so many benefits both for you and your employees, check out our many services to help you get started on that transformative path.

Whatever side you are on, we looking forward to seeing you over on Careers with Disabilities. 

Interview with a disabled candidate

Disability Advice Hub