DDA

You MUST Be Accessible

  Time to Act

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) was introduced to prevent service providers treating people with disabilities less favourably than other customers or employees.

The Act requires organisations of all sizes to review policies and procedures and to make reasonable adjustments to make services accessible to disabled people.

  Who does the DDA apply to?

The DDA applies to anyone that provides goods, facilities or services to the public, with or without payment. This applies to both large and small businesses.

  That means you!

Under DDA, service providers have a duty to understand where physical barriers to their service are, and to have made plans to remove or alleviate them.

Access Plus from CIB provides you with the solution to meet the requirements of the DDA to make your business accessible.

  Who is Classed as Disabled?

Any person who has a disability if he or she has a physical or sensory impairment, which has an effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day tasks."There are 10 million disabled people in the UK and 95% of disabled people do not use wheelchairs."

  A Complete Service

"You are more likely to be able to comply with your duty to make adjustments to physical features if you arrange for an access audit of your premises and draw up an access plan." Disability Rights Commission

Access Plus covers all aspects of your compliance to DDA:

  • Information and publicity
  • Public spaces
  • Staff Areas
  • Services and facilities
  • Collections, exhibits, displays and stocks
  • Events and activities
  • Policies, practices and procedures

CIB provides you with a complete service, working with you at every stage to ensure you are fully aware of your options and obligations in terms of access provision.

We are uniquely placed, not only as experts in the requirements of the visually impaired, but also in provision of access for all disabled people including wheelchair users.

"The DDA asks questions of you to make reasonable adjustments - Access Plus provides the solution - based on your own premises and circumstances."

  What will access adjustments cost?

According to a study by the Institute for Employment Studies in partnership with MORI, the mean initial cost lay between £100-£1,000.

The mean ongoing costs for most adjustments was less than £100. Over half of those questioned had not incurred any cost in making adjustments.

  The Access Plus Programme

Access Audit

We work with you at every stage of the way indicating where changes need to be made. We start by undertaking an audit of your premises and your business covering all aspects of public accessibility. We also give advice on the training needs of your staff.

Recommendations

We then provide a comprehensive, user friendly report based on our findings which makes recommendations on adjustments which need to be made for disabled access.

Access Statement

Next we help you to devise an access statement for your premises - an important part of DDA compliance as a declaration of your access arrangements and policies.

Access Plan

CIB will help you draft up a printed guide for disabled people who will be visiting and using your premises.

Staff Training

CIB will train your staff so that you can accommodate the needs of disabled people at your premises, either as visitors to your building in terms of guidance, or as employees.

A Market Opportunity

The 10-million disabled people waiting for your accessible services have £80 billion spending power.

This represents a vast untapped market.

  Who Polices the Act?

  • Customers with disabilities
  • The Courts
  • Disability Rights Commission

 

  Act Now to Avoid Litigation

"Acting on the results of the audit may reduce the likelihood legal claims against you."

Disability Rights Commission

Companies, organisations and premises who contravene the DDA, face legal action for failing to make reasonable adjustments.

Individuals who suffer discrimination or accident as a result of an organisation's failure to comply to the Act, may also take out litigation against you.

In either case, failing to make reasonable adjustments in accordance with the requirements of DDA can be a costly error in more ways than one - call CIB, we are here to help.

For a free initial consultation contact:

  Access Plus Dept

Cardiff Institute for the Blind, Shand House, Newport Road Cardiff CF24 OYB

Tel: 029 2048 5414

email: accessplus@cibi.co.uk