 |
Business General
|
|
Legislation
What are the regulations?
The final stage of the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment)
Regulations, covering the issue of physical
access and employment for disabled
persons. The regulations came into
force on 1 October 2004.
What do they cover?
The duty of all service providers to make
'reasonable adjustments' to their premises
so that disabled people do not face barriers
to access, and the new obligation on
employers with fewer than 15 staff to
ensure fair treatment of disabled workers.
What do they mean for your business?
- Anyone who provides a service to the
public or a section of the public must make 'reasonable adjustments' to their
full range of physical features, such as
kerbs, steps, doors and toilet facilities.
- Small businesses, which have previously
been excluded from the Disability
Discrimination Act, must comply
with the legislation, and must ensure that
they don't discriminate against a disabled
person at any stage of the employment
process, from recruitment to promotion
and dismissal.
Action to take
In addition to reviewing your employment
policies to ensure there is no discrimination,
you must make sure that your business
premises are accessible to people with
disabilities. You should take into account all
aspects of your business premises, both
indoors and outside. Draw up an access plan
to allow sufficient time to implement any
necessary refurbishments. You may like to
arrange a professional access audit.
For more information on the new
obligations for businesses, visit
www.drc.org.uk/open4all
Further guidance on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is available at: www.disability.gov.uk/dda
|
|
