Managing your Raynaud’s symptoms
Find out some information on how to help manage your Raynaud’s symptoms
If you need assistance for your Raynaud’s at work there are changes to the work environment you could consider making and support to apply for.
Potential changes to the work environment that may help those with Raynaud’s:
- A portable heater
- Heated mouse
- Heated gloves and socks
- Self-insulating gloves and insoles
- Silver fibre gloves (opposite) can work phones, tablets and your MAC/PC
- Body warming products to keep your core warm
- Voice recognition software
- Word prediction software
- Light / soft touch keyboard
- Ergonomic pens and foam pen grips
Reasonable Adjustments
The Equality Act 2010 states that employers must make reasonable adjustments to any elements of a job which place a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person.
Citizens advice have a lot of information about what qualifies as a disability.
- Check out the air conditioning, if it’s problematic ask to be moved, turned up or wear additional clothing to ensure you stay warm
- Flexible working hours
- Working from home (if that is possible for the job role)
- Support from an occupational health professional
Read more on the Government’s webpage on reasonable adjustments.
Access to Work Scheme
Government Access to Work schemes offer grants and advice to employers and employees to help people with a disability or long-term health condition stay in work.
An Access to Work adviser can give employers support and information to help tackle practical obstacles in the workplace. They might do this by reviewing an existing report from an occupational health professional, or they may arrange for a workplace assessment to take place to determine what type of help you need.
An Access to Work scheme may also pay for the following support if your employee is classed as disabled and needs help beyond the reasonable adjustments, employers are legally obliged to carry out.
- Special aids and equipment needed in your workplace.
- Adaptations to your premises and equipment.
- Extra travel costs to and from work if a person can’t use available public transport.
- Extra travel costs a person must pay for while carrying out their work duties.
- A support worker for an employee.
If you’re based in England, Scotland or Wales, visit this page for an Access to Work guide for employers. If you’re based in Northern Ireland, visit here for further information.
Need help with IT support at home?
AbilityNet can help people with disabilities deal with computer problems at home. Call their helpline on 0300 180 0028 (UK office hours, Monday – Friday).
Mary Steiner, an AbilityNet assessor in the Midlands, feels the important thing is to keep the working environment warm, but there are some other adjustments that can be made to make life easier.
“One thing to look at, is using voice recognition software to dictate to the computer and minimise the need to type or use the mouse.”
“I saw a client who worked all day in a call centre and she found that gripping the mouse made things worse because it further reduced the circulation to her fingers. She was having to stop working for 10 or 20 minutes each time her fingers went numb until the feeling returned, so we recommended a flatter, larger mouse which didn’t require as much grip.”
“Another was a student whose fingers were sore and cracked because of Raynaud’s, I recommended an ergonomic pen”
Mary says these adjustments won’t stop the symptoms happening, but it’s sometimes about using a “mixture of little things which each help to improve the situation”, she explains.
Ellie, who has Raynaud’s and Systemic Scleroderma (SSc) along with Ehlers Danlos Type III (which is unconnected), is learning to manage the condition.
“Since I can remember I’ve always had hands that felt a bit ‘dead’. I went to the doctors because I heard there were treatments for Raynaud’s,” she says.
“My employers have been a fantastic support and we have sat together and agreed adjustments to help me in my role – from little things, like ensuring I am seated away from draughts, to bigger things – like agreeing circumstances where I feel I need to work from home, where they provided me with equipment to do so.”
