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Concerned about the new Disability Discrimination Act?
Unsure what you should be doing?
From October 2004, all 'Service Providers' have to make sure that the provision of that service is carried out without any discrimination to anyone who may be disabled. In April 2005 a new Disability Discrimination Act was passed by Parliament, which came into force in December 2005. This extends the provisions of the original act and now private clubs have to comply with the provisions of the DDA, which means many of them now have to take the necessary action to avoid discrimination. Subsequent additions to these regultions continue to impose more duties.
A lot of companies and private clubs are not sure what this means to them, whether they are a service provider, and what they should be looking to do. Many are concerned over stories of having to spend vast sums of money on installing lifts, converting toilet facilities for disabled use, and huge alterations to premises. That is not usually the case.
The regulations require you to do what is 'reasonable in your circumstances'. I can assist you, at very little expense, to decide what is reasonable. Many small items such as tactile signage, simple call buttons, and even just moving furniture to create easier access cost little or nothing to implement, but go a long way towards your requirements under these new regulations. Having done an access audit I will recommend a course of action to you in a written report. You can then have any works carried out yourself, or I can project manage any changes on your behalf. Either way you can rest assured you will be meeting the regulation as it applies to your business, as each circumstance is different and often unique.
What most service providers forget is that the DDA also requires you to review the way you provide your services, and this is often overlooked in the rush to provide ramps for wheelchairs. People who use wheelchairs are in fact a minority of those people with a disability, and you should also be looking at your entire service to see if there isn't perhaps a better way to provide it without being discriminatory (usually unintentionally). Even just having a member of staff available to see customers who cannot enter the building is a sign you have thought about your responsibilities. There are many simple and inexpensive changes you can probably make to offer your services to people who may be currently denied them. This increases your turnover! Don't lose sight of the fact that people with disabilities also want to buy from you. Making it easier to do so is a commercially sound decision.
If PJ Facilities could be of assistance with your requirements under the DDA, please call me on 0870 4422 037, or email to enquiries@pjfacilities.co.uk.
