There’s growing debate about whether traditional Workplace Needs Assessments (WNAs) are still the best way to support disabled and neurodivergent employees.
With rising pressures on HR and ED&I budgets, and an influx of off-the-shelf solutions claiming to ‘streamline adjustments’, it’s easy to see why the question is being asked. If someone needs noise-cancelling headphones or speech-to-text software, why make them go through a formal process? Shouldn’t some adjustments just be available by default?
In many cases, yes. And ideally, organisations should be embedding those common adjustments into day-to-day practice, making support accessible without friction or delay. Some are exploring triage systems, a quick phone call or online tool that helps fast-track adjustments. This approach can be useful in certain scenarios, but it’s not a complete solution.
Sometimes, the support needed isn’t simple, the job isn’t typical, and the answer isn’t obvious. That’s where the workplace needs assessment still holds real value.
What's Not Working
There are clear limitations in how workplace adjustments are currently managed:
- 14% of employees wait between three months and over a year to receive adjustments. (Source: City and Guilds, 2025)
- 1 in 8 disabled employees are still waiting after a full year. (Source: The Great Big Adjustment Survey, 2023)
Those numbers reflect long delays, inconsistent processes, and unclear policies. Coupled with bottlenecks in Access to Work process and managers’ having difficulty defining what’s ‘reasonable’, this leads to widespread frustration.
In that context, it’s no surprise that organisations are asking whether the traditional Workplace Needs Assessment still fits. But the answer isn’t to scrap it – it’s to use it better.
Why We Champion the Workplace Needs Assessment
At neurobox, we believe the workplace needs assessment plays a vital role. Not because every situation needs one, many don’t, but because when it’s done well, it can be game-changing. A workplace needs assessment makes sure adjustments are:
- Tailored to the individual
- Feasible for the organisation
- Proportionate to the role and working environment
It recognises that adjustments aren’t made in a vacuum. It’s one thing to recommend Grammarly, but what if your IT policy blocks it? Hybrid working might reduce fatigue, but it may not align with the essential requirements of a role. This is where the concept of ‘reasonable adjustment’ really matters and reasonableness is rarely black and white.
It’s contextual; shaped by the organisation’s size, role demands, available resources, and more. What’s reasonable for one employer might be unrealistic for another. What worked in 2021 might be outdated in 2025.
A good workplace needs assessment ensures that adjustments are tailored to the individual whilst also ensuring that the organisation’s resources and work demands are considered. An assessment will consider:
- Does the adjustment work in practice?
- Is the adjustment affordable and proportionate?
- What’s the wider impact on the team or workflow?
- Is there are any health and safety implications?
In short, it brings structure, clarity, and expert judgment to what can otherwise be a messy, reactive process.
Streamlining Workplace Adjustments with neurohub
“As someone who’s worked in the disability and neurodiversity field for over 15 years, I’ve seen firsthand how complex and inconsistent workplace adjustments can be, especially in large organisations. Too often, the process is reactive, manual, and opaque, leaving employees unsupported and HR teams overwhelmed. That experience, combined with a deep-rooted passion for creating more equitable workplaces, is what led us to develop the neurohub.
neurohub isn’t just a piece of software; it’s the result of years of listening to organisations, employees, and practitioners. It’s built to simplify and streamline the entire adjustments journey, from initial request to implementation and evaluation. Our aim is to remove the administrative burden from HR and ED&I teams while ensuring that every employee gets the support they need to thrive.”
Ben Lewis, CEO and Founder, neurobox
What is neurohub?
Belief in the WNA doesn’t mean defending a broken process. We’re not here to defend red tape. We’ve seen first-hand how slow, manual, and inconsistent processes can overwhelm HR teams and leave employees in limbo.
That’s why we built neurohub our Neurodiversity and Disability Case Management Platform; to keep the strengths of the workplace needs assessment, while removing the friction.
How neurohub Works
neurohub allows clients to track their workplace adjustment journey. It brings your process into one central platform where you can:
- Track assessments across your organisation
- Management adjustment recommendations, including assistive technology, training, coaching and awareness sessions.
- Monitor progress and timelines
- Collect feedback and ensure accountability
Employees can also log in to access their journey, from appointments and reports to software licence keys and session reminders.
Why neurohub is Valuable
This custom-built platform was designed with our clients in mind. It supports efficient collaboration, reduces admin time, and ensures all your data and progress lives in one secure, accessible space. In the short time it’s been live, neurohub has supported over 8,000 employees, delivering better outcomes for both individuals and organisations.
We know inclusion is more than a checkbox, that’s why neurohub includes powerful analytics features to help you:
- Understand average adjustment costs per employee
- Track delivery times (we aim to deliver all reports within 20 days)
- Monitor completed and upcoming coaching or training
- Evaluate adjustment effectiveness through ongoing feedback
neurohub will simplify managing adjustments at scale, helping HR and ED&I teams foster inclusivity, save time, and achieve meaningful change. With features like centralised management, instant reporting, and enterprise-grade security, neurohub puts your people at the heart of workplace adjustments.
Workplace adjustments are essential, but managing them shouldn’t be overwhelming or inconsistent. We believe in removing friction wherever possible. But we also believe that when adjustments need to be tailored, negotiated, and balanced, a structured assessment is critical.
That’s why we’re investing in doing them well, and doing them differently.
Because getting adjustments right isn’t just about compliance. It’s about enabling people to thrive.
Want to see neurohub in action?
Book a free demo with our Product Manager, Sam – he’ll walk you through how neurohub can support Workplace Adjustments in your organisation. You can track, manage and measure the adjustment journey with neurohub!
About the author
Mark Woodward – Head of Workplace Adjustments – has worked in the field of neurodiversity for more than 12 years and has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in supporting not just people but also teams, managers, and organisations, from creating comprehensive programmes to individual training and coaching.
Prior experience in senior management and operational roles has given Mark an important understanding and awareness of both the needs of the organisation, managers, and of the individual employee.
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Dr. Deborah Leveroy – Head of Consultancy & Research – is Neurodiversity and Inclusion Lead at neurobox. She works with organisations to advance neuro-inclusion strategy and practice. Deborah has a PhD in Dyslexia, inclusion and performer training from the University of Kent.
Her research is published by Routledge in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections. Current research interests include Neuroinclusive return to work practices and remote working. Previous roles include Disability Advisor for Remploy’s BBC workplace adjustment contract, Strategy Coach and Workplace Needs Assessor for PAM occupational health and Study Skills Tutor for several DSA providers.
Connect with Deborah on LinkedIn.
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