Working DDA Requirements into Refurbishment Projects

Sectors such as education, health care, retail, and offices account for a major proportion of the building refurbishment market. Businesses, organisations and local authorities refurbish buildings for a variety of reasons; sometimes to increase workspace or improve a premises’ aesthetic appeal, other times because it makes sound financial sense when compared to new build. Indeed, the government has allocated £40 billion to Building Schools for the Future (BSF), a programme that aims to rebuild or renew over 1,000 secondary schools in England.

Many buildings fall into disrepair through disuse: Refurbishment is the alternative to demolition, and often leads to a change in use. When refurbishing a building, it is essential to consider the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), this is especially important if the building is changing use from a private dwelling to a building that will be visited by members of the public.

First introduced in 1995, the DDA aims to end discrimination against the less able (those with a “physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities”). The October 2004 amendment requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to overcome physical features, which act as barrier to less able people who wish to access their services.

A service provider is anyone providing goods, facilities or services to the public, whether for a fee or not. This includes leisure centres, hotels and restaurants, banks, various local authority departments, and doctors’ surgeries. The DDA also applies to places of work, such as offices. It is effective to work DDA adjustments into refurbishment work. Indeed, many businesses and organisations refurbish premises in order to comply.

The requirement for physical adjustments to a building varies significantly, as the definition of disability within the DDA is wide ranging. Physical features include:

• Anything on the premises arising from a building’s design or construction
• Anything that obstructs the entry and exit of a building
• Fixtures, fittings, furniture, furnishings, materials or equipment
• Any other physical element or quality of land in the premises

If a physical feature exists that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a less able person to make use of a service, service providers must make reasonable adjustments to either remove it, alter it so that it no longer has an effect, provide a means of avoiding it, or provide an alternative method of making the service available to the less able.

The DDA does not define what makes adjustments reasonable. It depends on the type of service provided, the size and resources of the service provider, the practicality and cost of an adjustment, the amount already spent on making adjustments, and the potential benefits to less able customers and employees.

Possible reasonable adjustments include:

• Widening doorways or remodelling access routes and entrances throughout a building
• Installing a platform lift or ramp to replace steps
• Installing induction loops for those with auditory problems
• Improving access to toilets or washing facilities
• Relocating switches, sockets, public telephones, shelving etc
• Providing dedicated car parking spaces
• Making improvements to lighting levels and signage
• Introducing contrasting colour schemes for the visually impaired
• Providing mechanically opening fire exit doors

It is cost effective to integrate these adjustments into a refurbishment programme.

Working adjustments to improve access into refurbishment plans is cost effective and brings a range of benefits. Businesses and organisations can rest in the knowledge that they are DDA compliant, and less able people can access their services. Buildings that incorporate access features for the less able are easier to let and more in demand than those without. It may also increase the building’s value.

Complying with the DDA does not have to be hard work. Planning refurbishments carefully and incorporating access adjustments goes a long way to ensuring workplaces and public buildings are accessible to all.