Mrs Sonya Nicol v Ministry of Defence — 2025

The claimant, a Physiotherapist Specialist employed by the Ministry of Defence, brought a disability discrimination claim alleging failure to make reasonable adjustments during a temporary move from RAF Cranwell to RAF Waddington. The respondent accepted that the claimant was disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010, that it knew of the disability, and that it had not provided the rise/fall desk or trolley bag during the relevant period.

For the trolley, the tribunal found that although Occupational Health had recommended a suitable trolley for carrying a heavy laptop, the claimant had said she did not need one, later obtained her own trolley, and did not tell the respondent that it was broken. The tribunal also found the trolley would only have been needed on a limited basis because the claimant was not expected to work from home or at other premises, and storage was available at Waddington.

For the desk, the tribunal found there had been no Occupational Health recommendation for a standing or rising desk; the earlier recommendation was for a larger desk. Although it was expected that the claimant's desk would be moved and the respondent accepted that it was not, the tribunal found no evidence that the lack of the desk caused substantial disadvantage, and noted that the claimant did not raise the issue before bringing the claim. The tribunal concluded that the claimant had not established substantial disadvantage from the failure to provide either auxiliary aid, so the claims failed and were dismissed.