Health & Safety FAQ
Disability Rules
What does the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
require?
In April 2005 a new Disability Discrimination Act was passed by
Parliament, which amends or extends existing provisions in the DDA
1995, including:
- making it unlawful for operators of transport vehicles to
discriminate against disabled people;
- making it easier for disabled people to rent property and for
tenants to make disability related adaptations;
- making sure that private clubs with 25 or more members cannot
keep disabled people out, just because they have a disability;
- extending protection to cover people who have HIV, cancer and
multiple sclerosis from the moment they are diagnosed;
- ensuring that discrimination law covers all the activities of
the public sector;
- requiring public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for
disabled people.
Since October 2004, Part 3 of the DDA 1995 has required
businesses and other organisations to take reasonable steps to
tackle physical features that act as a barrier to disabled people
who want to access their services.
This may mean removing, altering or providing a reasonable means
of avoiding physical features of a building which make access
impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people. Examples
include:
- putting in a ramp to replace steps;
- providing larger, well defined signs for people with a visual
impairment;
- improving access to toilet or washing facilities.
Under the DDA, service providers, such as shops, restaurants,
leisure centres, places of worship and banks only need to make
changes that are "reasonable". Some organisations can afford to do
more than others. For example, it would not be reasonable for a
small shop with a tight budget to undertake the same level of
structural alteration that a large supermarket could finance. It's
about what is practical to the service provider's individual
situation and what resources the business may have. They will not
be required to make changes which are impractical or beyond their
means.