Reasonable adjustments in service provision
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires service providers to:
- anticipate the needs of disabled customers and the barriers they might encounter in trying to use the service.
- make changes - called reasonable adjustments - that would make it possible for disabled customers to access products and services.
What are reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments are changes that may need to be made to the way you carry out your business, so that disabled people are not disadvantaged as customers.
Many adjustments are common sense and can be implemented very simply and cost-effectively. Others need more consideration, but can often be done as part of general refurbishment or redecoration. Many reasonable adjustments won't just help disabled customers - you may well find that other customers, users and your employees benefit as well.
- A shop provides a seat near to the till. This allows customers to sit while waiting to be served or to rest their purchases at a raised level if lifting is difficult for them.
- A fast-food outlet has a narrow, stepped entrance. It fits a low-level bell so that people who cannot get into the building, including wheelchair users, can ring for service at the door.
- A courier service, when refurbishing its premises, replaces the outward opening doors with automatic sliding ones. These save space, are more secure than the old doors and make access easier for everyone, including its own parcel carrying employees. It fixes bold notices to the doors, at eye-level, to identify them as possible hazards.
- A garage washroom is refurbished. Lever taps replace the original taps on the hand basin. People with limited strength can easily turn these, as can mechanics with greasy hands.
- A management consultancy launches its website. As well as a fully illustrated version with lots of high-specification graphics, it offers a text-only version. The text-only version is accessible to the millions of visually impaired people who use screen reader software. It also offers a fast alternative to people who refuse to wait for slow downloads.
What is reasonable?
What is considered reasonable for a small business with limited resources will be different from what might be expected of larger organisations. However, if it is too expensive or difficult to make alterations to your buildings to make them accessible you must find another way of providing the service to disabled customers so that you don't have to turn them away or force them to go elsewhere.