Accessibility, Disability Management and DDA Audits

The UK Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) came into effect in December 1996 and brought in measures to prevent discrimination against disabled people. Under Part III of the Act, where a service provider offers services to the public, it has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to make these services available to disabled people. From 1st October 2004, the provider has had to ensure that the physical features of their premises work for disabled people.

Our accessibility audit can help you identify barriers and hazards to access for people with disabilities which may need to be changed. We will also provide pragmatic, cost-effective recommendations for any problem areas identified. As discussed in the Act, these include:

• altering a physical feature
• avoiding a physical feature
• removing a physical feature
• or providing the service by an alternative means.

Benefits

• Helps ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act
• Quick and low cost - expert assessment can take as little as one day
• Our illustrated audit reports provide compelling evidence of the accessibility issues identified
• Major issues in new buildings can be identified early in design before modifications become expensive
• Disabled people who cannot access your service represent a lost business opportunity and possible adverse publicity, ensure you keep, or win their business
• Easy access benefits others too - people with prams, small children or shopping trolleys
• Easy access shows you care - it improves your image to both able and disabled people.

Our approach

• Structured accessibility checklists based on DDA, Building Regulations, industry best practice and British Standards
• Experienced assessors - familiar with a range of disabilities and access problems and in identifying the most practical and cost effective ways of meeting both your legal obligations and your business needs
• Clear and straightforward results presented in an easy to use format
• Practical recommendations - we will continue to work with you to implement our recommendations if you wish.

Typical projects

• Conducting a disability access audit of the Fire Service Training College
• Reviewing six London buildings belonging to the Department for Transport against Part M of the Building Regulations for access and facilities for people with disabilities
• Providing disability management services to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
• Carrying out accessibility audits of Driving Standard Agency Test centres for use by customers and staff with disabilities
• Advising Barclays Bank on disability access.

What do our clients say?

The consultants are flexible and have spent time getting to know us and work in partnership with all parts of our organisation.  They have consistently met the Department’s service criteria for the timeliness of contacts, visits, reports and implementation and have received some first-rate feedback from line managers, the Department’s Medical Adviser and the employees they have assessed.

Sonja Drew, Deputy Head of Casework, Coaching and Diversity for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

Useful links 

More details about the DDA and how it might affect your business are contained in our comprehensive summary article.

For more details about our disability management services try our article Enabling people through disability management. 

The Website Accessibility section of our website explains how we can test websites and other digital media using our panel of people with disabilities and help you improve their accessibility.

For more information on any of our services, please contact us