Landlord and employer of choice for disabled people
Our data tells us that
of our colleague group has a disability or long-term health condition.
of our customers have a disability (although data here is limited).
That’s why our commitment to being a landlord and employer of choice for disabled people is so vital.
Adaptations to our customers’ homes
One of the ways we support customers with either a disability or long-term health condition is through adaptations in their home. When it comes to what our customers need from an adaptations service, we knew it was important for us to hear from them about what the service should look like. That’s why we worked with customers to review and revise our Aids and Adaptations Policy.
Following the consultation, we developed an action plan to address some of the recommendations and concerns raised by customers. This saw us increase Abri-funded minor adaptations from £1,500 to £2,000, as well as making sure we have clear information and promotion of our adaptations service.
We’re now looking at ways we can build colleague understanding and knowledge of aids and adaptations through things like training and awareness raising across the organisation. This will not only help customer facing teams to have confident conversations with customers, but it’ll also help manage customer expectations and identify future needs earlier.
In the financial year 2025-26 we carried out
aids and adaptations in customers’ homes.
Here’s what some of those customers told us following their home adaptation…
“The steps are lovely, really wonderful. It has aided him to be able to stay mobile and get out into his garden. Very pleased and very grateful.”
“Perfectly perfect! Feels much safer in the shower, no worries about falling over. Abri is very good to our customers—it's small things like this that make a big difference.”
Accessibility in our homes
We remain committed to ensuring our homes are inclusive and accessible. We are currently delivering 86 disabled access homes across five live sites, with 11 homes going beyond policy requirements to meet standards, providing enhanced accessibility for customers with higher needs. Looking ahead, a further seven sites are in the pipeline, which will deliver an additional 55 disabled access homes, including 20 that will exceed policy requirements.
All of these homes are being delivered through Abri Build, reflecting our ongoing commitment to designing and developing homes that support a wide range of needs and help customers live safely and independently.
Supporting colleagues with individual needs
The Disability & Chronic Illness (DCI) Forum was set up in April 2025 in response to colleague demand for a dedicated space to share lived experience, shape improvements and support one another. Now with 20 members, the colleague-led forum has become an important way of informing policy and making sure organisational processes better reflect the needs of colleagues with disabilities and long-term conditions. It also provides a supportive space for peer connection, discussion and shared learning.
The forum has already helped shape practical improvements, including more inclusive language in our Workplace Reasonable Adjustments Procedure, changes to the make-up of Accessibility Panels to ensure they are representative and the introduction of an appeal stage, better protection for equipment like chairs and screens to avoid them being moved or adjusted, and a stronger, more joined-up approach to reasonable adjustments so colleagues and managers can access support more easily.
Vicky Beckwith, Director of HR and OD said:
“After developing disabilities as a result of my cancer treatment in 2023–2024, I gained a new and very personal understanding of the challenges colleagues with disabilities may face. That led me to establishing the DCI Forum.
It was important to me to remain authentic by not concealing my disability and so I have been very open about my illness at Abri. I reached out to colleagues to gauge interest in creating a safe, supportive space - where people could ask questions, share experiences, and provide feedback. The aim was to help inform how Abri can continue to strengthen its position as an employer of choice for people with disabilities.”
Workplace Reasonable Adjustments
We revised our Workplace Reasonable Adjustments Procedure to help us enhance the colleague experience. It provides a consistent and joined-up approach to support - beginning at onboarding and continuing throughout each colleague’s journey with Abri.
Frances Coyle, Supplier Support Team Leader, is just one colleague that has a Workplace Reasonable Adjustment in place. Because of her progressive condition, Frances’ needs changed over time, with her transitioning from using crutches to relying on a wheelchair over the space of two years. This meant she needed some practical adjustments to support her at work.
With strong support from her line manager, changes were introduced to ensure Frances could continue working comfortably and effectively. This included reconfiguring desk space to allow easy movement between wheelchair and office chair, providing suitable ergonomic seating both at home and in the office, and ensuring access to a disabled parking space whenever on site.
Reflecting on the support she’s received, Frances said:
“Overall I have found Abri very supportive and pro-active in providing necessary adjustments and equipment for those who require them.”
This case highlights the importance of ongoing awareness, proactive support, and flexibility to make changes when a colleagues circumstances evolve.
Improving accessibility awareness and training
We’ve made great progress in raising awareness of and training around accessibility across the organisation. We’ve delivered accessibility awareness sessions to more than 40 colleagues, helping to highlight the importance of inclusive practices in everything we do. Part of this training includes hearing from members of the public that have an accessibility need to help highlight the impact this can have.
Building on this, we’re now developing shorter, more focused sessions that will be accessible to everyone, making it easier for colleagues to engage and learn at their own pace.
We’ve also taken steps to improve the accessibility of our learning content. Four of our in-house eLearning modules have been refreshed with accessibility in mind, and we’re continuing to review and update more. All internally built modules now also include a clear accessibility statement, reinforcing our commitment to inclusive learning experiences.
Alongside this, we’ve introduced practical support measures within our training sessions. This includes fidget tools to help with focus and concentration, and coloured overlays to support colleagues with dyslexia. Together, these changes are helping to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for everyone.