If you are going through a dispute with a service provider or an employer who you feel is discriminating against you because you have a disability or you are the accused employer or service provider, it can be extremely daunting to know where to look for methods of resolution that are not expensive, timely and cause more tension.
That’s where we can help you. Our disability mediation service has been tried and tested to support all parties on either side of a dispute. Our mediators have expertise in disability and are therefore able to support you in obtaining an agreement that works for everybody.
Individuals, employers and service providers have reported that they feel more understood, listened to, respected and empowered once they had engaged in our disability mediation.
Benefits of using our disability mediation service
Effective Communication
A common factor in disability disputes is that there has been a breakdown in communication. Our experts will help you to navigate these difficult conversations, as they use a solution’s focused approach, in order to find common ground and ultimately a resolution.
Specialist Disability Mediation Provider
Engaging with a disability specialist mediation provider ensures a better success rate than working with a provider that doesn’t specialise in disability. Disability mediation guarantees a fairer process for all those involved.
Speedy Resolution
Our team of experienced mediators and administrators will ensure that your case is dealt with quickly so that a resolution can be reached as soon as possible.
Along with the costs of the service we also include free of charge:
- A team of administrators who will support and guide you through the process to enable it to be as stress free as possible for you
- An outcome statement at the end of the process when an agreement has been reached
- A mediation preparation guide to support parties before the joint mediation session takes place.
What you need to do next
Step 1
Schedule your free mediation consultation
Step 2
Have an honest and open discussion with the mediator about the issues you feel have caused the dispute
Step 3
Book in your initial meeting with the mediator to start the process
What people have said about our disability mediation service…
I am a totally blind client of Access Mediation Services. It was so refreshing and reassuring to not have to explain to the mediator why something was difficult or impossible for me to do, as he too was disabled. He had an in-depth understanding and empathy of the details of the case.
– Sally R.
When you know you have been treated unfairly it is easy to get emotional, however the calm demeanour of the mediator positively influenced the atmosphere during the mediation.
– Rebecca S.
I found the mediators ability to put me at ease and empathise with my situation remarkable. The mediator was a great listener, took pride in his work and was very professional.
– Nick P.
Questions we are frequently asked by our clients
‘‘What is disability mediation?’’
Disability Mediation is a process by which an impartial, trained mediator, who specialises in disability, facilitates a conversation between two or more parties in an effort to resolve conflict.
You may be an individual or employee who feels they have been on the receiving end of discrimination due to disability or you may be a service provider or employer who has been accused of discrimination.
The process is confidential, creating an environment that is safe for people to speak openly. The process is also voluntary empowering participants as they chose to attend.
Our disability mediators ensure that both parties have equal amounts of time to air their views and concerns.
‘‘Does disability mediation bias the process towards the person with a disability?’’
This question is often asked especially by individuals who don’t have a disability. They perhaps feel that this process is biased towards the person with a disability. Usually this is due to the mediator having expertise in disability. It is quite the opposite, having a specialism in disability ensures the process is fair for all. The mediator is able to ask specific questions to all parties concerned surrounding disability. A mediator with no experience in disability would be unable to ask these questions. The mediator remains impartial at all times throughout the mediation.
‘‘What expertise do disability mediators have?’’
Our disability mediators have backgrounds in disability delivering disability awareness courses throughout the UK. All of our mediators regularly attend training, seminars and workshops to ensure they are up to date with best practice surrounding disability. In addition to this, our mediators have attended training to the highest level of mediation as well as being assigned to regulatory bodies within the field of mediation.
Mediators that specialise in disability can ask more accurate questions and get to the bottom of problems much quicker than those who are not trained in this field. This not only saves time and money but also ensures that we focus on the solutions that are available. Ultimately this will reduce the levels of stress, anxiety and frustration attached to conflict.
Our specialist disability mediators can support you with the following disputes:
- Workplace disputes
- Transport dispute
- Access disputes
- Guide dog refusals
- Assistance dog refusals
- Discrimination
- Education
- Reasonable Adjustments
- Family
- Housing
- Health and Treatment
We really understand that sometimes people with disabilities don’t feel confident enough to speak about or disclose their disability. Sometimes employers and service providers are hesitant as to how to broach a conversation with a person who has a disability, as it can be a sensitive issue.
Our mediators have years of experience in working in the field of disability and are trained to the highest standards in mediation. They combine these skill sets to ensure the mediation process is one that is as stress free as possible. With our knowledge all parties that engage in the mediation process do not have to worry about explaining disability. We understand policy, equality, disability and how it can impact, from everyone’s perspective.
We co-developed the disability mediation standards with the College of Mediators to ensure that best practice was being followed by mediation providers and that those engaging with these services were getting the best quality mediation service possible.
If you would like to start the process or to simply find out more information please click here to schedule a free consultation with one of our mediators.