April 25, 2003—With the final phase of legislation due to come into force in October, the Employers’ Forum on Disability has published an updated guide to the Disability Discrimination Act.
The guide aims to help companies take a best practice approach in complying with the DDA, including when making adjustments and/or redesigning their premises. Entitled “Open for Business,” it is endorsed by the Centre for Accessible Environments and the Disability Rights Commission.
Many businesses do not know where to start when it comes to making premises accessible, said a Forum spokesperson. In a recent survey by Scope, some 40% of employers questioned did not even know whether their buildings were accessible. From October, every provider of goods and services (in both the public and private sectors) will be obliged to have taken reasonable steps to change or overcome physical features of premises that make access impossible or unreasonably difficult. At the same time, all employer provisions of the DDA will become applicable to all employers, regardless of how many employees they have.
Among other things, “Open for Business” makes the point that access is not just about ramps and special lifts—fewer than 8% of disabled people use wheelchairs—and that the cost of adapting existing premises is not necessarily prohibitive.
Further details, including purchasing information, can be found on the Forum Web site.
—Elliott Chase
Reprinted with permission; copyright 2003 i-FM
