DDA compliance in the workplace is a legal requirement for making your work premises accessible to disabled people. This may include making alteration such as adding braille or tactile signage, bonnington symbols, wheelchair ramps and emergency alarms and/or altering the structure of your building. Our guide below explains how you can make your business premises DDA compliant and links through to products we sell to assist in this process.
What is the Disability Discrimination Act?
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to protect disabled people, including those with visual impairment, against discrimination – both in employment and when using a service or facility, including further and higher education institutions.
The government has implemented the legislation in three phrases:
Part 1 came into effect in 1996 – the government made it illegal to treat disabled people less favourably because of their disability.
Part 2 was introduced in 1999 – organizations were obliged to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled staff, such as providing additional support or equipment. They also had to start making changes to the way they provide their service to customers, for example providing bank statements in large print.
Part 3 came into force in October 2004 – all organisations may have to make physical alterations to their premises to overcome access barriers, such as ramps for wheelchair users.
How does this affect your organisation?
All organisations have to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to their premises in order to make their services accessible to disabled people.
This might include putting up clearer signs for visually impaired customers, installing an induction loop for deaf people or installing ramps to improve wheelchair access.
The law says alterations can be made in four ways:
- Remove the barrier or obstacle
- Alterations such as adding a ramp and providing clear signage
- Find a means of avoiding the problem – for example, reconfiguring the internal layout of a building.
- Providing a service by reasonable alternative means, e.g. offering a home service, installing call bells at approved heights, adjusting door opening strengths etc.
What if an alteration costs too much?
The DDA refers to ‘reasonable adjustments’. If the cost of an alteration would put someone out of business it wouldn’t be reasonable and would make that service less accessible to everyone.
Bodies such as the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and the Centre for Accessible Environments offer advice to businesses and individuals, and will explain precisely what constitutes as a reasonable adjustment.
Are listed buildings exempt?
There are restrictions on how listed buildings can be altered, but they are not exempt under the DDA. Organisations that operate from listed buildings need to take specialist advice about how to remove access barriers.
What if businesses have no disabled customers?
That’s no argument under the law. The duties under the DDA are ‘anticipatory’ so saying you have no disabled customers will not provide any legal protection.
What are the risks of doing nothing?
There is a possibility of having to defend a costly legal action. But there is also a pressing economic argument. The DRC estimates that disabled people’s spending power amounts to 50bn. It argues that ignoring the DDA means losing custom – especially if competitors have already made improvements. It is a fact that between 14% and 24% of the population has a disability or is closely involved with a disabled person. The improvements suggested by the DDA will benefit them and encourage them to do business with you.
How will the legislation be policed?
The Disability Rights Commission is the official watchdog. If a disabled person feels that a building is inaccessible they are able to approach the DRC to pursue the case in the courts if negations fail.
How Facilities Buyer can help you become DDA compliant
We sell a range of products that will help you make your workplace DDA compliant. These include:
- Braille and tactile signs – for providing guidance to the visually impaired.
- Bonnington symbols – these graphical symbols assist understanding by all, including those whose first language is not English and those who have disabilities.
- Portable wheelchair ramps – we sell three different portable wheelchair ramps of varying lengths to suit a range of environments.
- Emergency alarms – our digital wireless emergency call system is suitable for toilets and washrooms.
For more information on the products you need to make your workplace DDA compliant, please contact us.
To download the above information as a pfd which can be printed, please click here.
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