What is Happening With the DDA?

Disabled access has always been a difficult area for architects and builders, and the owners and operators of buildings likely to be visited by members of the public. With the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act the matter became quite simple: Service providers must make provision for the less able and the wheelchair user to gain access to their building, and the services provided within it.

Consequently it is unlawful for service providers to discriminate against a disabled person for a reason related to their disability. According to the Code of Practice regarding the DDA, such "discrimination" can be committed by a service provider in the following ways;

• by refusing to provide (or deliberately not providing) any service which it provides (or is prepared to provide) to members of the public; or
• in the standard of service which it provides to the disabled person or the manner in which it provides it; or
• in the terms on which it provides a service to the disabled person.

References to providing a service include providing goods or facilities.

Since 1st October this year, all service providers are legally required to make "reasonable adjustments" to the way they enable disabled people to access their services - such as making provisions for extra help, or making changes to the way their services are provided in general.

In addition service providers must make additional "reasonable adjustments", to the physical features of their premises. These changes must be made to overcome any physical barriers a disabled person might face in trying to access a service.

The implications of the above are enormous, especially if one considers the fact that many service providers' premises were designed and built long before the Disability Discrimination Act came into force. Such buildings are therefore plagued by the sorts of "physical features" which often prove very difficult if not impossible for a wheelchair user to negotiate.

One of the most common of these "physical features" is the simple flight of stairs, something which undoubtedly represents an insurmountable obstacle to wheelchair users. The solution to such a problem often manifests itself in the form of a platform lift. For examples of how platform lifts are being used read on.