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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.