News
Broadcasters commit to disability manifesto
The chief executives of six of Britain's biggest broadcasters shared a platform last month to launch a manifesto to improve the employment opportunities and portrayal of disabled people in mainstream programming. The world first is the initiative of the Broadcasters' Disability Network (BDN), the part of the Forum established by the broadcasting industry. 
By signing up to the manifesto, BDN members commit to:
* increase the presence of disabled people on air and on screen
* increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce
* increase access to services on and off air
* ensure access to all buildings.
Members also commit to produce and make public an action plan which has been endorsed at board level and which details how these key commitments will be implemented. 
Outlining their action plans at the launch were BBC director general Greg Dyke, BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball, Carlton Channels chief executive Clive Jones, Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson, Granada chief executive Steve Morrison and Film Council chief executive John Woodward.
Action plans have been produced by all 10 BDN members: Forum Gold Card members, the BBC and Granada, plus BSkyB, Carlton, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, Film Council, PACT (the Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television) and Turner Broadcasting System. Forum member, the Independent Television Commission (ITC) supports the manifesto and has published its own action plan on disability.
Sponsored by Carlton, the manifesto launch was hosted by BBC disability correspondent Peter White and actress and presenter Kim Tserkezie, who are both BDN associates. BDN chairman and Carlton Broadcasting managing director Colin Stanbridge said: "Today's public commitment by so many leading players in the world of broadcasting, television and film is a real turning point in the representation of disabled people on screen and their employment opportunities behind the camera."
Secretary of state for culture, media and sport Tessa Jowell said: "It is quite right that [disabled people] should expect their lives to be presented in a way that is not patronising and recognises their individuality and concerns." 
The BDN will be monitoring the implementation of its members' action plans over the next year, and in 12 months will hold a public review of progress achieved. 
For information about the BDN contact Jenny Stevens on 020 7403 3020. To view action plans, visit www.employers-forum.co.uk/www/guests/bdn/manifesto/ index.htm. For the ITC action plan, visit www.itc.org.uk or call 020 7255 3000.

It's going to spread like Wildfire
The Forum has unveiled details of its plan to establish the world's first leadership foundation to nurture the potential of high-capacity people with disabilities. 
The Wildfire Foundation will provide bursaries to individuals who demonstrate the potential to make a difference to their worlds. Wildfire will:
* seek out, nurture and develop leadership
* help organisations to diagnose leadership potential
* enable the individual to realise their potential.
Seed funding from Gold Card member HSBC has enabled the Forum to assess the feasibility of the proposed foundation, which will broker creative partnerships to enable bursary recipients to design, undertake and complete unique individual learning experiences.
Programme co-ordinator Aletheia Gentle said: "Wildfire will challenge the deep-rooted assumptions which currently exclude disabled people from leadership development, and from society more widely, in ways that will in time shift societal attitudes towards all disabled people."
To find out how to become part of this ground-breaking initiative, call Aletheia Gentle on 020 7403 3020

Help you can bank on
Gold Card member Barclays and Coronation Street actor David Neilson are backing a new Forum publication giving practical advice on using financial services to people with learning and literacy difficulties.
Barclays has sponsored production of 200,000 copies of 'It's Your Money', which was created in partnership with the advocacy group People First. Street star Neilson, who plays café owner Roy Cropper in the soap, has written a foreword.
'It's Your Money' also features the Barclays signature stamp, intended for customers who cannot supply a consistent signature. They are provided with a facsimile stamp that they can use, with a bank letter, in retail outlets. Barclays now has over 130 such stamp users in England.
Josie Greaves, head of disability issues, commented: "Our staff are keen to ensure that their customers fully understand how a bank account works and have the confidence to use banking services such as cash dispensers. The booklet will provide invaluable support in explaining banking in simple terms." 
 'It's Your Money' is available from the publications team on 020 7403 3020

Cinemas to try out captioning solutions
Forum members Odeon and UCI are among the cinema operators testing a new service to improve the visitor experience for visually and hearing impaired customers.
Eleven cinemas are taking part in the six-month trial being conducted by a working group that includes the Cinema Exhibitors' Association (CEA), the Film Distributors' Association (FDA), the Cinema Advertising Association and disability charities. 
The first solution, provided by US digital technology company Digital Theater Systems (DTS), can project captions on to the screen, allowing the cinema to use a standard release print for shows rather than a specially captioned one. Captioning describes sound effects as well as dialogue. The second solution, audio description, is received on infra-red headphones. A narrator describes the scene and the action in the gaps between dialogue. 
Participating cinema operators also include Warner and UGC. All 11 screens, located in Belfast, Cardiff, Gateshead, Glasgow, Guildford, London, Nantgarw, Uxbridge and Wolverhampton, are offering audio description, with five of the cinemas also providing captions. 
CEA chief executive John Wilkinson said: "This research programme has been exploring ways of bringing cinema efficiently to audiences who are hearing or visually impaired. These ongoing trials will help us identify for them a better cinema experience, which is the aim of us all." 
Further details from John Wilkinson at the CEA on 020 7734 9551. Information about the DTS system can be found at www.dtsonline.com

Textphones fail to make an impact
Service providers are failing to provide for hearing-impaired customers, warns new research. 
A survey of over 100 leading customer-facing organisations in the UK found that 84 per cent did not have a textphone. Of the 16 organisations with textphones called, only two answered successfully; seven did not reply. 
The survey by RNID polled leading banks, building societies, utilities and insurance companies in addition to shops and hotels. 
RNID Typetalk director Phil Jennings said: "People with hearing impairments represent a potentially lucrative and largely untapped revenue stream. If organisations take a little time and trouble to understand their needs, they can tap into a very loyal and responsive customer base."
For further information contact Sarah Hawes on 0151 709 9494. Email: sarah.hawes@rnid-typetalk.org.uk
* The next Update will include a report on communication services for hearing-impaired service users. If your organisation uses such a service, or wants to explain why they do not, email update.editor@ virgin.net or write to Update Editor, Employers' Forum on Disability, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NY. 

College in warning on access
Canterbury Christ Church University College is urging other higher education establishments to conduct accessibility audits to meet their legal obligations. 
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 makes it unlawful for education providers to discriminate against disabled pupils, students and adult learners. If service providers, they must also ensure physical barriers for disabled people are overcome by October 2004, in accordance with the final phase of access to goods and services provisions in the DDA. 
The 1960s college recently completed a campus-wide accessibility audit, which assessed access to its 74 buildings as well as wider issues such as staff attitudes and social inclusion. Estates manager Craig Webster said many colleges and universities were not prepared for new legislation. "Many establishments, particularly older ones, should be looking at accessibility issues now," he advised. 
Kent-based environmental access auditors, Access Matters, were given access to the college's teaching staff and students throughout the audit. Auditors also attended graduation days, lectures and meetings to gauge accessibility. 
For further information contact Craig Webster on 01227 782 261. Email: cmw1@cant.ac.uk. For information about Access Matters contact Sue Pellegrino on 01227 280 860. Email: Sutow@access-matters.demon.co.uk Website: www.access-matters.demon.co.uk

Poor rating for London's attractions 
Minister for Arts Baroness Blackstone and Mayor of London Ken Livingstone are calling on the operators of London's cultural attractions to meet the needs of the capital's one million deaf and hard of hearing residents. 
The move follows research by charity RNID which revealed that two thirds of London's favourite attractions have inadequate facilities for customers with hearing impairments. 
Addressing a recent gathering of deaf and hard of hearing people in London, the minister agreed to take up specific cases of bad practice in theatres and cinemas while Ken Livingstone pledged to promote the use by tourist attractions of new technology and standardised signage. 
In a mystery shopper exercise earlier this year, RNID sent a profoundly deaf person to 23 London attractions to gauge facilities and helpfulness. The visitor found:
* none of the staff could communicate effectively using British Sign Language
* 14 out of 18 attractions where part of the experience involved sound do not have any alternative for deaf and hard of hearing people
* 19 out of 23 attractions do not have a textphone facility
* over half of those attractions with a loop system do not have signage to say so. 
Only a few - notably the Tate Modern and the National Gallery - organise BSL-interpreted tours or talks as an alternative to a headset audio tour. Poor performers included Shakespeare's Globe and the Tower of London with both failing to provide either sign language tours or printed information.
The Tower of London said it was currently in the middle of an audit of accessibility for all visitors and was planning to install an induction loop and signed tours. 
A spokeswoman said: "We know that we can improve our visitor service in this area and aim to do so in the short-term."
A spokeswoman from RNID said: "Employing more deaf and hard of hearing people sends out a positive message about the organisation and means that everyone can benefit from improved communication."
For further information about RNID's employment learning and skills service, call 020 7296 8061 (telephone/textphone) or visit www.rnid.org.uk

100% success for Fast-Track
Forum members British Airways, Ford Motor Company and WH Smith are among the companies involved in a successful recruitment and training initiative for graduates with disabilities. 
Fast-Track is a graduate development programme consisting of a 12-month employment contract, organised by charity Scope, made up of two six-month secondments to partner companies. 
It also includes four personal development/training modules for candidates to develop key practical skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, presentation skills and job seeking. 
The programme boasts a 100 per cent success rate with trainees gaining permanent employment with their placement companies or other organisations. It now involves over 20 partner organisations from the private and public sectors who help to fund the programme. In return they are guaranteed at least one trainee on a six-month placement each year. 
Project manager Wendy Le Messurier said partners were in a win-win situation. 
"Partners have the opportunity to receive disability awareness training and benefit from increased awareness of disability and the Disability Discrimination Act and enhanced corporate image," she said.
For more information contact Fast-Track on 020 7619 7299 Textphone: 0207 619 7187 Website: www.fast-trackpartnership.co.uk

Balance education and law, warns US expert 
Employers choosing to embrace disability as a business issue have more to gain than those who focus purely on not falling foul of the law, according to a leading US expert. 
Speaking to a recent gathering of disability consultants and policy makers organised by the Forum, Professor Peter Blanck of the University of Iowa College of Law said that disability law was steadily being undermined in the US. However, it had considerable impact for those still able to claim protection. 
He cited the case of the Chuck E. Cheese pizza chain, which was found to have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it fired Don Perkle because of his learning difficulties simply because a new manager did not like the look of him. 
Chuck E. Cheese argued that Perkle's cognitive limitations left it "highly unlikely" that he experienced any significant distress as a result of his termination. The jury awarded Perkle $10,000 in back pay, $70,000 in compensatory damages - and an unprecedented $13 million in punitive damages.
Blanck said that paternalistic attitudes - deciding what is 'right' for the potential employee or what he or she can or cannot do - also get employers into trouble. Companies should ensure their judgements are well informed, he argued. 
"If you don't have exposure to or have been involved with disabled people, it is often very difficult [for this awareness] to break into big companies," he said. 
In the United States, IT giant Microsoft has commissioned research into how sensitive its products and services are to the needs of people with disabilities. 
Blanck suggested that this approach had benefits to the wider community of potential employees and customers which equally was a benefit to the company.

Fellowship award for Forum 
The work of the Employers Forum on Disability on promoting disability excellence has been recognised in the 2001 British Diversity Awards.
The Forum received a BDA fellowship award for best equality organisation at the event, which each year publicly recognises successful programmes and organisations working to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage for under-represented groups. 
Organised by diversity publication New Impact, the awards are supported by a group of leading agencies including the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Police Federation of England and Wales. 
The Forum's chief executive, Susan Scott-Parker, commented: "These im-portant awards recognise excellence in diversity and receiving this one is a tribute to the work of the Forum's dedicated team and to the commitment of our members."
Other winners included the Royal Navy (best diversity champion) and Portsmouth City Council (best local authority).
If your organisation is interested in entering the 2002 British Diversity Awards or sponsoring a category, contact Anserhouse on 01628 481581. 

Accessibility is key aim for National Crime Squad
The National Crime Squad is consulting with disabled staff and other specialist agencies to ensure its new operations management and intelligence system is fully accessible. 
Project Athena is a web-based information management system that will cover four NCS functions - managing evidence, intelligence, tasking and resourcing. Phase one rolls out this month; the new system will be implemented over three years. 
One of the principal aims of Project Athena is ease of use for all those with access rights, says user co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Cliff Purvis. 
"We need to make sure we are inclusive rather than exclusive and looking at these issues at the development stage is easier than trying to change things later," Purvis explained. 
The system will comply with the W3C checks for web content accessibility and offer alternative formats for visually impaired users. 
Purvis added that many of the features make the system more accessible for all users. "We've accentuated when certain things happen on the database to make them more identifiable, which actually makes the system easier to use for everyone," he says. 
NCS will be seeking feedback from its 1,400 staff on the first module before rolling out phase two of the project. The organisation is a member of the Forum's Police Disability Network. 
For details, contact Cliff Purvis at NCS on 01293 582896. For information about the Police Disability Network, contact Mark Goldby on 020 7403 3020

Change at the top at AbilityNet
Disability and computer access charity AbilityNet has appointed Shuna Kennedy as its new chief executive. 
Kennedy joins from the Children's Society, where she was marketing and communications director. Before that she headed her own marketing consultancy, following an earlier career with advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. She is a co-founder and trustee of Whizz-Kidz, a charity which supplies mobility equipment to children with disabilities
Kennedy replaces John Maitland, who has held the position since AbilityNet was formed in 1998. An ordained minister of the United Reformed Church, Maitland is leaving to take on responsibility for a church and congregation in the Midlands. 
AbilityNet works with employers and disabled people through its 10 regional centres to offer advice, information and support around access to IT in the workplace and at home 
Kennedy said: "AbilityNet starts from the premise that, equipped with the right adaptive solution, a computer can be used comfortably and productively by almost anyone, whatever their disability. I look forward to joining the team and working with them to make an even greater impact in the lives of those who need our support."
The charity's tenth centre opened in Bristol in March. AbilityNet West provides needs assessment, a free helpline, adapted computer equipment, and training and awareness education. AbilityNet also works in partnership with the Forum.
For information about AbilityNet, telephone 0800 269545 or visit www.abilitynet.co.uk. For details of e-check, the Forum's web accessibility audit service for members, telephone Jon Gooday on 020 7403 3020.

OU takes to the road
Forum member the Open University will be showcasing its latest service for disabled students at next month's Mobility Roadshow 2002. 
The university's access bus is a mobile assessment unit for current and prospective disabled students. The £pound;100,000 vehicle, equipped with a wide range of information and assistive technology, allows disabled people to have their education needs assessed in their own homes. 
Visitors to the event, which features the latest mobility solutions, will see a range of enabling tools on the bus including: 
* voice recognition software for students unable to use a conventional keyboard
* a scanner system for converting printed study material into an electronic form that can be stored and manipulated on a PC
* a CCTV system for magnifying document images and
* a PC with synthetic speech and screen enlargement software.
Funded with £pound;50,000 from HSBOS through its community relations programme and a grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the bus is run by the university's Centre for Assistive Technology and Enabling Research (CATER). 
Phil Satchell, who was responsible for the specification and design of the vehicle, said: "This is an innovative concept because it takes the access centre to the student."
Before the bus was launched, students had to travel to conventional assessment centres across the UK. Poor public transport systems often made that difficult, particularly for disabled people in more geographically remote areas such as parts of Scotland, Wales and the south west of England.
For information about the access bus, contact Phil Satchell on 01908 858322 or email p.satchell@open.ac.uk
The Mobility Roadshow takes place from 20-22 June. For more information, telephone 0870 7703222 or visit: www.justmobility.co.uk/roadshow

Placements wanted in the City
The Corporation of London is looking for central London employers who can offer work placements to disabled students under a new initiative backed by Forum member, HSBC. 
The Corporation's 'business traineeship' programme has for a number of years offered school leavers from inner-city boroughs the opportunity to gain paid work placements in the City during the summer immediately after they take A-levels, or equivalent qualifications. Whether they then go on to university or look for full-time employment the scheme helps trainees, often from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds, to access financial and business services jobs.
The Corporation is now keen to make business traineeships available to people with disabilities and, in partnership with HSBC and the charity RNID, is launching a pilot programme this year to offer placements to young people from London's Mary Hare Grammar School for hearing-impaired students. 
"It is hoped that business traineeships will, after the pilot, be extended in the future to other disabled students," said Frank Funnell of The Brokerage, a City based charity that manages and develops the scheme for the Corporation.
Demand for placements is high, says Funnell, so employers interested in taking part should contact The Brokerage (see below) as soon as possible. 
For more information, contact Frank Funnell at the Brokerage on 020 7628 9904. Email: frank@thebrokerage.org.uk

Directory of diversity consultants
The 21st edition of the Diversity Directory, an employers' guide to equality and diversity consultancies, is now available.
Published twice a year, the directory contains information on around 100 consultants and trainers specialising in equal opportunity and diversity issues. A range of articles includes pieces on law and employment and the development of a code of practice for diversity consultants. 
From this year, the subscription-based publication will also offer subscribers access to a free, online discussion forum where they can discuss matters relating to equality and diversity with each other and with consultancies listed in the directory.
A subscription to the Diversity Directory costs £pound;80 a year. 
For more information contact Mary Gray at Diversity UK. Telephone/fax: 01234 881380. Email: mary@diversityuk.co.uk Website: www.diversityuk.co.uk

June launch for video on recruitment
Paul Newman, co-ordinator of the Forum's New Deal Network, on new initiatives aimed at helping employers to recruit disabled people
In January Richard Bide, director of human resources at Centrica, hosted a dinner for those companies now using the 'Recruitment that Works' programme as the model for recruiting people with disabilities into their own organisations. 
As outlined in the Forum's Employment Action File of the same name, Recruitment that Works is based on Centrica's successful pilot project to recruit disabled people in Manchester (see Update, February 2002). 
The objective of the dinner was two-fold. First, to establish a group of employers who could share their experiences - both good and bad - in a totally confidential environment; secondly, to create a platform to break out this practical methodology to a wider group of employers.
John Warburton and Amanda Wadsworth of Jobcentre Plus and I attended the event as 'experts' and facilitators. The outcome is this month's launch of a video, produced by Granada and sponsored by Centrica and Jobcentre Plus. 
Already we have approaching 20 employers committed to the launch, which will be held in Manchester - the 'birthplace' of the process. 
Recruitment that Works is now in operation in a number of companies other than Centrica. The process now operates in Wales, Scotland and the north east of England. 
Workshops on how to make the process work have taken place within the newly formed Jobcentre Plus. The Forum's Employment Action File has been well received by people involved in managing recruitment; one regional disability manager described it as "excellent" and told me: "I wish we'd had it three years ago!" 
The process is also being used to recruit from other disadvantaged groups - lone parents and the long-term unemployed. Bringing together mainstream Welfare to Work intermediaries and rehabilitation organisations has been a powerful additional benefit of the Forum's investment in evaluation and brokering. 
Reed in Partnership has joined with St Loyes and been successful in a proposal to offer recruitment services under the New Deal for Disabled People. 
This is one of a number of exciting developments whereby the expertise gained from other New Deal programmes can be applied to the recruitment of people with disabilities. 
The joint venture will be based in Hackney, so much of the good practice developed in the south west will apply in an inner-city area of London.
Paul Newman can be contacted on 01162 489480. For more information about Recruitment that Works, contact John Warburton on 07971 995997
For more information about the Hackney project, contact David Imber at St Loyes on 01392 255428
Jobcentre Plus liaison staff
Jobcentre Plus was launched in April 2002 and merges the Employment Service with the Benefits Agency. Each Jobcentre Plus office has an employer account manager to work closely with employers. 
Advisers can provide advice and support on recruiting and retaining disabled jobseekers. Employers can access information about the job introduction scheme, Access to Work, New Deal for Disabled People and Workstep. 
For more information visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 
For information about the New Deal for Disabled People telephone the helpline on 0800 137 177. Textphone 0800 435550. Website: www.newdeal.gov.uk

'No opportunity' to employ disabled people?
Seventy-six per cent of UK employers have never had the opportunity to employ disabled people, according to research released by jobability.com, a website for disabled jobseekers.
More than three-quarters of the 1,000 respondents said "opportunities to employ disabled people have not yet arisen", 44 per cent citing the unsuitable nature of the work as the reason. The research - taken from a sample of businesses with over 15 employees - shows that: 
* 44 per cent of employers are not aware of any policies or guidelines within their company relating to the employment of disabled people
* 28 per cent of the companies have disabled employees, although half these companies only employ one disabled person to their knowledge.
The Forum's own experience shows that employers presume that certain types of work are unsuitable for disabled people. In addition, many employers may say they only have one disabled employee when in fact they employ other people with disabilities but are unaware of this. 
However, the survey suggests employers who employ disabled people do not find cost or other resources prohibitive. For example: 
* almost two-thirds of companies employing disabled people say they incurred no extra costs as a result of having to make adjustments
* 40 per cent of companies who say they did incur costs believe they were less than £pound;1,000.
The report cites Forum research showing that disabled people tend to be more loyal and take less sick leave. There are other benefits too, it suggests: "Many companies employing people with disabilities have reported an improvement in team dynamics. This can be attributed to the breaking down of social barriers and the encouragement of a more positive and diverse office environment."
Jobability.com is a partnership between Leonard Cheshire, Microsoft and Totaljobs.com. Steve Harvey, Microsoft's director of people, profits and loyalty, says: "We at Microsoft believe everyone should have the opportunity to realise his or her potential and that means providing disabled people with work opportunities in all our workplaces."
The report concludes that most employers are willing to consider disabled people for their vacancies. However, it suggests that much better 'matching services' - recruitment specialists, job brokers etc - are needed. 
'Employers' attitudes towards employing disabled people' is available from Eleanor Conroy at Edelman on 020 7344 1561. Email: eleanor.conroy@edelman.com

Message from the chief executive
The launch by our Broadcasters' Disability Network of a disability manifesto (see p1) provides a timely reminder of how Forum membership can empower organisations to facilitate real change. As we move towards celebrating our tenth anniversary this autumn, it seems fitting to review some of the Forum's successes. 
It strikes me as particularly significant, given the commercial climate, that membership continues to grow week by week. We now have some 385 members that between them employ nearly 22 per cent of the workforce and - surely this must be a significant landmark - more than five million employees.
I would like to thank our stalwart Gold Card supporters - it is your investment in the potential of the Forum to achieve that broader impact across the entire business community that makes so much of our work possible. And a warm welcome to our newest Gold Card members, who include Jobcentre Plus, the Health and Safety Executive, TotalFinaElf, DLA and the Guys and St Thomas' Hospital Trust.
Next year will see us tailoring our support for members through a mix of products and services suited to those organisations just beginning to address the issue from the business perspective. We are working with Churchill & Friend and Access Matters Ltd on a series of workshops designed to expedite this planning process.
We are delighted at BT's support for a network of occupational physicians, which we will be bringing together in the very near future. Customer care champions Centrica and Barclays are working with our events team to re-establish a Customer Advisory Group, to help us deliver the mix of advice and practical initiatives members need for 2004 when the next and final stage of the DDA goes live.
We were also pleased to be asked by the Disability Rights Commission to facilitate its important consultation with business and other stakeholders on how to measure DRC impact over the coming years. 
We congratulate Unum for sponsoring in association with the Forum the Enabling Ability Award under Business in the Community's business excellence awards banner. Our priorities next year will include a benchmarking initiative, led by Niccola Swan of Barclays and bringing members together with Ashridge over an 18-month period to pilot practical benchmarking tools. 
Underpinning all our work is the understanding that real change only happens when business leaders and disabled people meet face to face to build new relationships. I am excited about the progress being made on our new leadership initiative, the Wildfire Foundation (see p1). A thank-you to HSBC, the Change Partnership, Socio-Technical Strategy Group, Bioss and Coverdale.
Update's new look
Finally, you will have noticed that Update has a brand new look. Not only is it now in full colour and twice the size but we have expanded the news section and introduced a regular column by Forum Associate Mike Freeney. Let us know what you think - you'll find contact details on p15.

news in brief
* Forum Associate Phil Friend and Bob Grove, chair of Social Firms UK, are among the speakers at the 2002 European Social Firms Conference this month. The rise of social enterprise and its potential to empower workers with disabilities are among the themes to be covered at the event, to be held on 20-21 June at Surrey University, Guildford. Katalyst Events, 0191 2263614 or email: k.dixon@can-online.org.uk
* Employment tribunals awarded a record £pound;3.53m in compensation in unlawful discrimination cases in 2000, according to research by IRS Equal Opportunities Review. The highest award for compensation due to disability discrimination was for almost £pound;80,000 and £pound;30,000 for injury to feelings. "Employers must act now to reap the financial rewards of good business practice and to avoid damaging and costly discrimination claims in the future," said EOR editor Sue Johnstone. 020 7354 6787 or visit www.eordirect.com
*  Simon Zadek has been appointed chief executive of AccountAbility, the institute of social and ethical accountability. Zadek is co-author with Forum chief executive Susan Scott-Parker of Unlocking potential and Unlocking the evidence, which outline the disability business case. His latest work is The civil corporation: the new economy of corporate citizenship. 020 7549 0400 or visit www.accountability.org.uk
* Rochdale Council is introducing flexible working across the authority after a pilot project reduced sickness absence by more than a third. The council has extended office opening hours to include the weekend and introduced shorter hours and home working. All departments will have two work-life balance projects in place by the end of this year. Stephen Harper, 01706 647474
* Forum members from the business world are being offered the chance to share their expertise and enhance their understanding of disability by joining the RNIB's board of trustees. RNIB provides information for employers on recruitment, retention or retraining of visually impaired people. In addition, it runs a technology information service and two rehabilitation and skills centres. Stef Abrar, RNIB, 020 7391 2142 www.rnib.org.uk
* The Association of Disabled Professionals (ADP) has set up a new forum for self-employed disabled people. The Disabled Entrepreneurs Network (DEN) will provide networking opportunities, information on training and links via its website to useful organisations, including the EFD. Forum chief executive Susan Scott-Parker said: "It's a real opportunity for business to build the capacity of disabled entrepreneurs, as demonstrated by the commitment of people across the world such as Ajith CS Perera in Sri Lanka, who recently produced a fascinating book on cricket on limited resources." www.disabled.entrepreneurs.net 020 8778 5008. Thinking cricket is available from bookshops, £pound;12.95
* Business mentors have helped a multimedia production company set up by two young profoundly deaf entrepreneurs to success in The Prince's Trust and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Business Awards. Remark!, whose clients include the BBC, Channel 4 and the National Deaf Children's Society, won the highly commended award. The awards are part of the Trust's business programme, which helps unemployed or under-employed 18-30 year olds to start their own businesses. www.royalbankscot.co.uk or telephone 0131 523 4206. Remark!: 020 8691 0210. Website: www.remark.uk.com
* Employers interested in bridging the digital divide are being invited to contribute to three new initiatives to empower people with disabilities. The projects, which include an employment scheme, will be facilitated by Vitamin-e, the new media initiative co-ordinated by think tank Demos, Ethical Media and Forum for the Future and supported by Forum members Vodaphone and the Department of Trade and Industry. Vitamin-e is seeking marketing, technical and financial support. www.vitamin-e.net or call Rachel Jupp at Demos on 020 7401 5330
* Bristol restaurants Chez Gerard and Ask Pizza and Pasta are among the first venues to take advantage of a new Braille menu service. Transcription company A2i has launched the service to help restaurants and hotels improve their accessibility to visually impaired customers. Subscribers can also use A2i's Braille menu logo and receive a free listing on the company's web-based directory of accessible restaurants. 07951 309124 or www.a2i.co.uk

profile
Douglas Campbell
The head of the Disabled Drivers' Association tells Clare Conley what drives him
Douglas Campbell, executive director of the Disabled Drivers' Association, extended a recent visit to Manchester to include an overnight stay in a hotel following a daytime meeting. It wasn't through a particular desire to see more of Manchester, it wasn't even that the meeting had over-run. The reason was that the only trains available at that time had places for wheelchair users but did not have accessible toilets.
The rail company concerned is in the long process of replacing its old rolling stock, but meanwhile the conveniences are anything but for wheelchair users and Campbell incurred the extra cost of a hotel room. Using public transport takes military precision planning - avoiding stations with steps, making sure there are taxis capable of carrying wheelchair users at both ends of the journey, giving at least 24 hours of notice to the rail company to organise assistance where needed.
When faced with this mounting list of potential obstacles it is easy to see why personal mobility is so important for so many. And why Campbell has worked with government, voluntary organisations and private companies for over 30 years to improve the situation for disabled drivers (see panel below). The association works with car manufacturers, including Ford and Vauxhall, and organisations like the AA to serve the needs of disabled drivers. Motability, a charity set up under a government initiative to make more disabled people mobile through hire purchase schemes for cars and powered vehicles, is another key partner.
But now it is up to companies to take the lead on providing for disabled drivers, says Campbell. "The government has put the tools there but they are often ignored. And each time a company ignores them, it sends out the message to disabled people that 'you don't really matter, you won't do anything," he explains. Campbell is also concerned that disability discrimination is seen mainly as an HR issue rather than a customer issue because the penalties under the employment provisions are potentially greater.
The next tranche of the DDA to be introduced from October 2004 will require all service providers to make their buildings accessible. However, Campbell points out that it is no good having a car and access to a building if there is nowhere to park. This has led to the association's biggest campaign, Baywatch, in collaboration with the Polio Fellowship and the Disability Motor Club. It is also working with the largest supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco, to look at the layout of car parks and how the disabled parking bays could be better policed. 
In addition the association is also lobbying petrol companies to provide enough staff at filling stations so that there is always someone to serve disabled people, who otherwise simply cannot travel. But Campbell says the response so far has been discouraging. 
"In an ideal world I would like to employ a couple of people full-time at the association to work on external issues like parking and access. You often find that architects have put disabled parking bays at the top of a flight of steps, for example. But we just don't have the resources," says Campbell.
With over 20,000 members and just eight staff, the association is a "pretty lean system", as Campbell puts it. He manages the association from his home in Milton Keynes - in fact he has worked from home for over 20 years. "It has many advantages. I can set my own pace and don't have to answer to anyone," he adds.
Born in 1948, Campbell became a wheelchair user after contracting polio at the age of four. He had an 18-month stay in hospital in which time his family could only visit him twice a week on official visiting days. Although Campbell later passed the 11-plus for the local grammar school, it was not accessible. Instead he was sent to a boarding school for disabled boys where he says with typical understatement "the standards of education were not particularly high".
Campbell went to sixth form but no one even suggested that he go on to university, despite his good academic performance. So he joined a local accountancy practice and qualified through a correspondence course. But Campbell has come up against much discrimination over the years - one chief accountant said that he would gladly employ him but couldn't because in the future he would need to work in part of the building which was not accessible.
However, Campbell has met these challenges head on. He was awarded an OBE last year for services to people with disabilities, in recognition of his long list of achievements. He also recently "took on and beat" London mayor Ken Livingstone, winning an exemption from the new congestion charge for blue badge holders from all over Europe plus a reduction in the registration fee.
Commenting on what the government could still do for disabled people, Campbell says: "It should give the Disability Rights Commission teeth, preferably sharp ones. In an ideal world there would be proper disability benefit and the government would ensure local authorities deliver on disability services the way they should."
Career file
1995-present Executive director of the 20,000-member Disabled Drivers' Association. Involve-ment with the association dates back to 1972 and prior roles include chairman and treasurer.
2000-2002 Co-opted member of the Personal Mobility Working Group of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.	
1999 Appointed member of the Motorists Forum, set up to advise the Confederation for Integrated Transport and the Secretary of State for Local Government, Transport and the Regions.
1998 Founder trustee of the Forum of Mobility Centres, an umbrella charity for mobility centres.
1997-1998 Represented users in review of the NHS Invalid Vehicle Service. Now serves on working group overseeing the winding down of the scheme and provision of alternative services to the remaining users.
1997-present Served on various specialist committees and working parties including the Joint Committee on Mobility of Disabled People (an umbrella group) and the Invalid Tricycle Repairer Liaison Committee (a working group set up by the Minister for Disabled People). He was also involved in the campaign in the 1970s to replace the invalid tricycle with a car, which later resulted in the introduction of Mobility Allowance (now the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance).
1966-95 Worked as an accountant. Set up own practice in Milton Keynes in 1977.
The Disabled Drivers' Association can be contacted on 01908 221201. Website www.DDA.org.uk

opinion
Mike Freeney
...;on the need for creative solutions to put the brakes on parking abuse
Welcome to the first in a series of regular columns that will give me the opportunity to reflect on some of the issues of current interest to Forum members and disabled people. I must stress that the views expressed here are my own and not intended to reflect those of the Forum. Hopefully, the column will encourage wider debate and responses over the coming months.
This summer the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions is expected to announce how the government intends to clamp down on the abuse of disabled parking permits. 
Of particular concern are those people who have claimed or are using such badges fraudulently. It is believed that as many as one in 14 of all drivers in the United Kingdom now has an orange or blue badge. 
While the number of badges in circulation seems questionably high, the issue for disabled people is not the fraudsters with badges, but the constant use of accessible parking bays by drivers without badges. 
Indeed, it is hard to see why non-disabled people go to all the bother of obtaining a badge when it appears anybody can park in any of the accessible bays at offices, supermarkets, out-of-town shopping centres, motorway services or railway stations. The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 carries a maximum fine of £pound;2,000 for a non-disabled person caught misusing a badge yet for parking in an accessible bay without any badge the most they can expect - if they ever get caught - is a normal parking fine. The whole system just doesn't add up.
If companies cannot afford to employ someone to police their car parking bays or regular staff are too intimidated understandably to approach offending drivers or fear alienating good customers, then the answer has to be the use of a third party - the clampers. 
Certainly I have never met a clamper who looked as though they would easily intimidate, and I would have thought they could be pretty much self-financing, at least initially. It is also one of those situations where it makes sense for competitors to work together in order to reinforce the principle and share the costs. For example, the clampers could have contracts with all the supermarkets, or offices, in a specific area.
At the same time, the Disability Rights Commission should actively seek out some high-profile car parking abuse cases to support and publicise because, while this is not usually front-page news, it is a subject that actually affects the daily lives of millions of disabled people. Equally important, while no business would wish to be taken to court, most would genuinely welcome the sort of guidance that is only likely to come as a result of case law.
Let's face it: if the combined weight of the Disability Discrimination Act, the DRC and DTLR can't crack the problem of car parking, we may as well forget about the bigger issues like full civil rights for disabled people.
Mike Freeney is co-director of Access Matters Ltd and a long-standing Associate of the Employers' Forum on Disability. He can be contacted at: mikefreeney@accessmattersltd.co.uk 
* Does your organisation have a creative solution for tackling parking abuse? If so, email your ideas to the editor at update.editor@virgin.net or address them to Update Editor, Employers' Forum on Disability, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NY
Features
Watch your language
Awareness and flexibility are key words for employers when it comes to recruiting disabled people. Update presents some ideas for good practice taken from the Forum's new briefing paper on managing recruitment
Employers often regard disabled people as particularly hard to employ. Misconceptions include the belief that people with disabilities are restricted to certain jobs despite the fact that there are some two million disabled people in work. With training and support, disabled people have the same employment potential as everyone else. The vast majority do not require adjustments at work except perhaps the opportunity to prove what they can contribute.
The Forum's latest briefing paper, 'A practical guide to managing recruitment', provides guidance on the sorts of adjustment employers may want to consider in recruiting people with disabilities. The paper aims to help employers to comply with the law, but is principally designed to ensure that what they do reflects best practice, and thus benefits their business. 
The briefing paper provides a step-by-step guide to recruitment, from devising job descriptions to shortlisting and interviewing. Here we look at what employers can do in three key areas. 
1 Job descriptions
When drawing up job descriptions and candidate specifications, ensure that you do not needlessly exclude a disabled candidate. Insisting on a written application form and perfect spelling, may exclude an exceptional candidate who has dyslexia but could easily use the spellcheck function on a computer. 
Be flexible. Not taking the time to ensure that job criteria are grouped into what is 'essential' and what is 'desirable' may exclude candidates who are accomplished in the crucial aspects of the role. 
Concentrate on what is to be achieved rather than how it is achieved. Under the DDA and good management practice generally, the outcome is more important than the process. Whenever preparing job descriptions and candidate specifications just keep in mind that a disabled person may simply do things differently.
The following show how easy it can be to allow a candidate to demonstrate their capacity to do the job:
'Must touch-type' This does not explain why touch-typing is essential and may exclude a capable candidate with repetitive strain injury (RSI). Replace with: 'You will need to produce high-quality reports using a word processing package at regular intervals and at short notice'. This will allow a candidate to demonstrate their ability to meet the criteria using voice-activated software.
'Must have driving licence' This does not explain why a driving licence is essential, and may exclude a candidate whose arthritis prohibits driving on occasion. Replace with: 'As the post-holder will be meeting clients, there will be extensive travel throughout the UK'. An alternative method of transport can then be used on occasions when the employee cannot drive.
'4 GCSEs required' or 'Work experience required' The first excludes candidates who have not undergone mainstream education because of their disability. The second excludes candidates who have been discriminated against in the past by employers unwilling to make adjustments for short work spells and placements. Replace with: 'Show examples of how you fulfil the criteria.' This will allow the candidate to demonstrate resourcefulness and problem-solving skills that they may have developed through their disability experience, and which otherwise could be overlooked. 
2 Advertising vacancies
When advertising a job, it is important to send the right message. Use positive wording like 'we welcome disabled applicants' or 'we are committed to becoming disability confident' and offer help in completing the application or with the recruitment procedure. 
You could also display or mention the disability symbol on written or verbal advertisements. Developed by Jobcentre Plus, the 'two ticks' symbol is for use on all advertisements, and communicates a commitment to best practice. This includes interviewing all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy, and considering them on their abilities.
Consider advertising in more than one medium. In addition to mainstream press, advertise on local radio, in talking newspapers and via the internet. In addition, think about targeted advertising through specialist outlets such as the disability press and websites such as www.jobability.com A factsheet on proactive advertising is available from the Forum. 
3 Using employment agencies
Employment agencies, like service providers, are obliged not to treat disabled people less favourably than others. This includes making reasonable changes to practices, policies or procedures. Members of the Forum are increasingly asking their agencies to demonstrate that they are disability-competent. 
Employment agencies are also increasingly being asked by employers to ensure a disability-friendly environment. An agency may have to:
* provide auxiliary aids or services
Example: providing sign language interpreters and/or a text phone for a deaf candidate
* offer an alternative if physical features make the premises difficult to access
Example: changing the interview venue to one with ramps if a candidate uses a wheelchair
* in the lead-up to October 2004 (when the final portion of Part III of the DDA will take effect), consider moving or altering physical features that make it difficult to access the service
Example: installing an entrance ramp.
If the agency does the shortlisting interviews, ensure all their processes are non-discriminatory. Under the DDA, employers are obliged to ensure their agency treats all disabled candidates fairly and may well be liable under the DDA if a recruitment or staffing agency gets it wrong at any stage.
Further advice on these and other stages of the recruitment process are contained in the briefing paper, as well as case studies and useful contacts. Briefing paper no 15 'A practical guide to managing recruitment' is available from the Forum on 020 7403 3020. Forum members can order up to 80 copies free of charge. 

Manifesto for change
Members of the Broadcasters Disability Network have signed up to a manifesto pledging positive action on disability and produced action plans to turn this into a reality. Here BDN members outline some of their commitments
Recognising disability and embracing it makes good business and creative sense for the broadcasting industry. Yet our record on disability lags behind other diversity issues. 
In the last 18 months, thanks in part to the work of the Cultural Diversity Network, race has been a particular priority for broadcasters. 
But disabled people are significantly worse off than ethnic minorities when it comes to employment and representation on screen and on air. They comprise only 0.9 per cent of employees and 0.4 per cent of freelancers working in the broadcasting sector. This compares with 5.6 per cent employees and 7.7 per cent freelancers from ethnic minorities. 
The Disability Rights Commission estimates that 12 per cent of all disabled people have jobs, so the broadcasting sector is well below the national average.
Key commitments
BDN member organisations commit: 
* to increase the presence of disabled people on air and on screen 
* to increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce 
* to increase access to services on and off air 
* to ensure access to all buildings 
* to produce and make a public an action plan, endorsed at board level, which details how these key commitments will be implemented. 
For more information about the BDN contact Jenny Stevens at the Forum on 020 7403 3020.
To view BDN members' action plans, visit www.employers-forum.co.uk/www/guests/bdn/manifesto/index.htm
Words into action: examples from BDN members' action plans
Establish central support systems for all disabled staff. Currently this includes the provision of central funds to meet access costs which are outside the costs met by the DST, the establishment of a Disability Computer Group and of a pan BBC Access Unit, and appointment of a Disability Employment Adviser (BBC)
Offer at least one work experience placement per quarter to young people with disabilities, in partnership with appropriate support organisations such as Workable and Prospects (BSkyB)
Set aside funds (£pound;35,000 in 2002) for support of training disabled people external to the channel with a view to increasing the skills base and encouraging employment in production. (Channel 4)
Run disability workshops for staff involved in interviewing and selection, and plan refresher sessions on a yearly basis (Channel 5)
Establish an internal helpline which will be widely publicised to staff. This will make clear to all members of the workforce who their central point of communication must be in all matters of disability
Immediately appoint a disability adviser to work with the board, staff, funded organisations, companies and industry partners to raise awareness of disability issues, and by April 2003 produce a comprehensive disability strategy. (Film Council)
We have designed and this year will launch a job website which will ensure job opportunities reach a more diverse, global audience (including advertising the site through coverage in the specialist press). (Granada Media plc)
Support and assist the promotion of the film and television industry at careers events (in collaboration with the broadcasters, the unions and Skillset) to help target those sections of the population under-represented at the moment. (PACT - the Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television) 
Review our preferred recruitment suppliers to confirm that they approach their business with a respect for equal opportunity. In addition, any new suppliers will also need to confirm their commitment to good practice in this area. (Turner Broadcasting)

Case study
Carlton has developed a Four-Point Plan for implementation over the next 12 months:
1 Employment and opportunity
* Develop and fund a bursary scheme for disabled applicants offering two six-month traineeships. 
* Sponsor the registration of 20 disabled production personnel on Productionbase.co.uk, a website directory for media employers. 
* Review recruitment procedures to ensure optimum reach and accessibility. 
2 Awareness
* Integrate disability awareness training into core training modules for line managers. 
* Establish disability as a regular item at production meetings. 
* Promote a positive and consistent message on disability internally and externally. 
3 Access
* Conduct an audit of Carlton buildings against best practice to ensure sites are accessible to all. 
* Continue to produce high-quality programme support material that is available in different formats for disabled viewers. 
* Increase Carlton's subtitling output in excess of regulatory requirements. 
4 Commitment and review
* Extend Carlton's Diversity Steering Group, chaired by Clive Jones, chief executive of Carlton Channels, and comprising key executives, to include disability. 
* Introduce monitoring of disability portrayal across regional and network programmes for regular reporting to the boards of the Broadcasting and Productions Divisions. 
* Introduce recruitment monitoring of freelance production personnel (regional and network) for regular reporting to the boards of the Broadcasting and Productions Divisions.

Gold Card Group
Abbey National invests in the team approach
A disability team is just part of Abbey National's commitment to workplace diversity. Liza Ramrayka reports
Making Abbey National 'an employer of choice for disabled people' is the long-term aim of the financial services group and Forum Gold Card member. 
Abbey National's disability employment programme is co-ordinated by its Disability Employment Action Team (DEAT), which was set up in 2001 as a partnership between business departments such as sales, and support functions such as HR, training and occupational health and safety. 
"We'd had a diversity strategy for a number of years and a recent review revealed that we had lots of initiatives for disabled people but needed a way of co-ordinating this work," explains HR policy consultant Emma Purnell. 
The 15-strong team is chaired by Tim Murley, chief executive of the group's internet bank, Cahoot. The team includes other senior management figures, which Purnell says gives a group-wide signal that Abbey National is serious about disability. The internal and external corporate communications departments are also represented to ensure that there is regular publicity about the company's commitment to employing disabled people. The DEAT has four stated objectives:
* to assess the company's current position with regard to disability
* to develop a culture of support for disabled employees
* to identify and build on third party best practice
* to increase representation and retention of disabled employees.
To deliver these, the team has divided into four sub groups, one to focus on each objective. The DEAT meets on a monthly basis; sub-group work takes place between these meetings. 
Over the last year, initiatives have included an intranet site which outlines, for example, Abbey National's commitment to equal opportunities for people with disabilities, guidelines for managers and links to support services. The company is also rolling out intranet-based disability awareness training as part of its diversity training for new and existing staff. 
Ways to encourage more disabled people to apply for jobs at Abbey National are also being investigated. "We weren't advertising jobs in disability magazines and more targeted media, so we have revised our recruitment processes and job advertisements now appear in publications like Disability Now," explains Purnell. The company has made a commitment to the 'Positive about disabled people' symbol and also runs CV skills workshops for disabled groups. 
Ensuring that disabled employees can remain in employment comes down to reviewing IT equipment and ensuring redeployment processes cater for them, says Purnell. 
Abbey National uses the Access to Work scheme but had found that it took some time for funding to come through. It has set up a pilot with Access to Work where it pays for any adjustment or equipment needed, then claims back the outlay. "It's an idea that came out of focus group work and makes it easier and quicker for us to support disabled employees," says Purnell. 
Abbey National's enabling suite in Milton Keynes plays a key role. Established in 1999, it allows disabled and non-disabled employees to test IT equipment such as voice recognition systems to assess suitability and identify workplace adjustments. 
Abbey National Disability Inclusion through Employment (ANDIE) is a national partnership project between the group and Finchale, Queen Alexandra, RNIB Redhill and RNCB Hereford residential disability colleges. The aim is to 'ensure partner knowledge'; this is achieved through offering work placements and, if appropriate, permanent employment to disabled students. 
Abbey National has also built a relationship with Disability at Work, a job brokerage run by Bradford Council. "We are a major employer in the Bradford area, so it makes sense to seek placement and job applicants via this route," Purnell says. The company is also working with the Asian Disability Network, given the large minority ethnic community in Bradford. 
Since becoming a Gold Card member in 1999, Abbey National has worked closely with the Forum. Initiatives include the ground-breaking 'You and your disabled customers'. Commissioned by the company and produced by the Forum, this best practice guide is aimed at suppliers and gives advice on the DDA and on all aspects of good service to disabled customers. 

Alan Eagle manages Abbey National Community Partnerships, which covers the group's community involvement and employee volunteering initiatives. A member of the DEAT team, Eagle joined the company in 1999 when he had multiple sclerosis. Since then he has become a wheelchair user and experiences writing difficulties and occasional vision impairment. 
"The company has made adjustments such as motorising doors and providing a laptop and software so I can do my work electronically. It also operates flexible working hours, which is helpful because as a wheelchair user I need to know that I can get a space on the train home," Eagle explains. 
The company's occupational health and safety team makes contact with Eagle every six months to review his needs and he has visited the enabling suite to try out equipment. "Very often you don't know what the solution is until you experience it, so the suite offers the opportunity to find out what's suitable before spending the money," says Eagle. 
Disclosing his disability at interview was not an issue, he adds. "From the outset, I was able to be upfront with them and knowing that the DEAT is there provides additional support. 
"It's very easy to have an equal opportunities policy but what it's really about is putting that into action."
For further information call Emma Purnell on 01908 347773 or email emma.purnell@abbeynational.co.uk

Spotlight
Providing a Shaw footing for new job opportunities 
The efforts of disabled jobseekers in Middlesbrough have been boosted by an innovative local partnership
Over 170 disabled people have had the chance to access training and employment opportunities in Middlesbrough, thanks to an ongoing project led by national disability employment charity the Shaw Trust and involving local employers. 
Launched two years ago, the project is a result of a partnership between Middlesbrough Borough Council and the Shaw Trust, an organisation that provides training and work opportunities to people disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability, long-term ill health or other social circumstances. Last year it helped over 10,000 people through its network of 400-plus staff and 200 different services across England, Scotland and Wales. 
The Middlesbrough initiative was funded by the council and the Health Action Zone, in order to assist people with mental health problems to progress towards and back into employment. 
The project has since been expanded to  people with physical disabilities. 
As well as one-to-one support to build confidence and interview skills, the project also provides information and access to further education and training. 
Most importantly, people joining are able to develop contacts and benefit from work experience placements with local employers. These have included Forum members Asda, Safeway and Sainsbury's, along with local nursing homes, colleges and parks services. 
A six-strong team from the Shaw Trust works with clients, who go through a detailed assessment process to identify training needs. The charity funds the training and then liaises with local employers.
"Access to our specialist support is available to the individual and to their potential employers, " explains project co-ordinator Karen Stubbings. "We work with employers to iron out any problems and suggest ways they can support the employee, such as allocating them a mentor in the workplace."
For information about the Middlesbrough project, contact Karen Stubbings on 01642 218181. For more information about the work of the Shaw Trust contact Jan Hunt on 01905 795194
Case study
Rachel, 22, was referred by the local community mental health team, having been diagnosed as having symptoms of depression and anxiety. She had an NVQ qualification in hairdressing but at initial interview with the Shaw Trust said she wanted to do something different. 
The Shaw Trust enrolled Rachel in its STAR work preparation programme, to give her exposure to different areas of work, to focus on her skills and to improve her self confidence. Having completed the course, she was very clear she wanted to work in the field of care. 
The charity then helped Rachel to enrol on courses in care and in lifting and handling. This enabled her to secure a one-month work placement at a home for older people in Middlesbrough. Rachel then requested a further work placement which was arranged at a local college, where she helped students with learning and physical disabilities in the classroom. 
After three months Rachel enrolled on a NVQ Level 2 in Care and started applying for paid work. She quickly obtained a part-time paid job working at a residential home for people with physical and learning difficulties. Rachel is continuing with her NVQ Level 2 in Care and is thoroughly enjoying working life again.
Spotlight is our regular, in-depth look at innovation in employing disabled people or improving services for disabled customers. The aim is to share ideas and good practice. 
If your organisation would like to see your experiences featured, email the editor at update.editor@virgin.net or write to Update Editor, EFD, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NY

Preparing for Part III
The Disability Rights Commission's new guidance on the responsibilities of service providers towards disabled customers outlines some common scenarios and how to respond to them. Update extracts a few examples
On 1 October 2004 the final stage of the goods, facilities and services provisions of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) will come into force. The new duties will apply to businesses and to other providers of services to the public where physical features make access to their services impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people. 
The DRC has published a new, revised code of practice on rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises for disabled people. This statutory code, which replaces the 1999 code, provides detailed advice on the way the law should work, together with practical examples and tips. Its status means it must be referred to for guidance in court when deciding on DDA Part III cases.
What does the law say?
From 1 October 2004, where a physical feature makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of services, a service provider will have to take reasonable steps to:
* remove the feature or
* alter it so that it no longer has that effect or
* provide a reasonable means of avoiding it or
* provide a reasonable alternative method of making the services available.
The DRC says service providers are more likely to be able to comply with their duties under the Act and prevent their employees from discriminating against disabled customers if they consider the following:
* establishing a positive policy on the provision of services to ensure inclusion of disabled people and communicating it to all staff
* informing all staff dealing with the public that it is unlawful to discriminate against disabled people
* training staff to understand the service provider's policy towards disabled people, their legal obligations and the duty of reasonable adjustments
* monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of such a policy 
* providing disability awareness and disability etiquette training for all staff who have contact with the public 
* addressing acts of disability discrimination by staff as part of disciplinary rules and procedures
* having a customer complaints procedure which is easy for disabled people to use
* consulting with disabled customers, disabled staff and disability organisations 
* regularly reviewing whether their services are accessible to disabled people 
* regularly reviewing the effectiveness of reasonable adjustments made for disabled people in accordance with the Act, and acting on the findings of those reviews
* providing regular training to staff which is relevant to the adjustments to be made.
Anticipating use of services
The DRC is urging service providers to plan ahead by taking any opportunities that arise, or bringing forward plans, to make alterations to their premises to benefit disabled people before 2004 - even though structural or other physical changes will not be required before 1 October 2004. Examples are:
* providing a permanent ramp for a wheelchair user
* relocating light switches, door handles or shelves for someone who has difficulty in reaching
* providing appropriate contrast in decor to assist the safe mobility of a visually impaired person.
The DRC says service providers should anticipate the requirements of disabled people and the adjustments that may have to be made for them. In many cases, it is appropriate to ask customers to identify whether they have any particular requirements and, if so, what adjustments may need to be made. Failure to anticipate the need for an adjustment may render it too late to comply with the duty to make the adjustment. Furthermore, it may not of itself provide a defence to a claim that it was reasonable to have provided one.
Further detailed guidance on how the law is enforced is contained in the code (see details below). 
This information is taken from the DRC's code of practice on rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises for disabled people, which is available free on the DRC website at www.drc-gb.org. 
The code is also available in English and Welsh print versions and in Braille, audio and disk formats from The Stationery Office, price £pound;13.95. Tel 0870 600 5522 Fax 0870 600 5533 Website: www.thestationeryoffice.com 
The Forum offers the following advice and information on service provision: 
* a Connect service which puts helpline callers in touch with the appropriate disability representative within member organisations;
* Customer Advisory Group which advises the Forum on the implications of the DDA for providers of goods and services and encourages providers to work to the spirit of the Act;
* Customer Action Files on best practice around the DDA part III (CAF 1), producing accessible information (CAF 2) and access audits (CAF 3).
How Part III will work
Anticipation 
A firm of accountants is refurbishing its offices. In replacing the carpets, it specifies low-pile, high-density carpeting, which helps many of its clients with mobility impairments (for example, those who use a wheelchair, artificial limb or walking aid) to move with greater ease. The firm also decides to improve the office lighting and signage, to fit braille markings to lift buttons and to install an induction loop system in one of its meeting rooms. It is then in a good position to provide accessible services to disabled clients.
Physical adjustments
An art gallery is accessible by stairs at its front entrance. It is in a listed building, and has not been able to obtain consent to install ramp. A side entrance for staff use is fully accessible and always open. The gallery arranges for people with a mobility impairment to use this entrance. This is likely to be seen as a reasonable step to have taken. It could, of course, go further and adopt an inclusive approach by also making the side entrance available to everyone.
Change of practice
A video shop restricts membership to people who can provide a driving licence as proof of their identity. This excludes, for example, blind people or some people with epilepsy or mental health problems. The shop would be required to take reasonable steps to change this practice by being prepared to accept alternative forms of identification.

In the courts
by Bela Gor
The Forum's legal policy and information services manager reviews two DDA cases and highlights potential pitfalls for service providers and trade associations
Baggley v Kingston upon Hull City Council
In April 2000 Mr Baggley, a wheelchair user, bought a ticket for a concert five months later and was told that the concert would be standing only. The concert providers were aware that Mr Baggley was a wheelchair user. 
The concert took place in a Victorian city hall which had been refurbished to the tune of £pound;3.5m in 1990. Of that, £pound;500,000 had been spent on enabling people with mobility problems to access the main hall and the balcony. In addition, at the rear of the main hall a "refuge" was built for people with mobility problems to wait to be evacuated in the event of a fire. This means that a wheelchair user attending any concert has to sit at the back of the hall. Mr Baggley, while able to hear the concert, was therefore unable to see the performer, as his view was blocked by people standing.
Mr Baggley brought a claim under Part III of the DDA in the County Court. He argued that the concert providers had not provided an auxiliary aid in the form of a raised platform, which would have enabled him both to hear and see the concert. The absence of this platform had meant, he claimed, that it had been impossible or unreasonably difficult for him to enjoy the concert. The District Judge who first heard the case accepted that the service provided was both hearing and seeing the concert. He also accepted that a raised platform at the back of hall was an auxiliary aid. 
Kingston upon Hull council's defence was that they had taken all reasonable steps to try to provide the platform before the concert but had been unable to do so. Mr Baggley argued that they should have been aware of the provisions of the DDA from 1996. They had been under an anticipatory duty to provide auxiliary aids such as the platform from 1999 and in any event, they had known from April 2000 that he, a wheelchair user, had bought a ticket for a standing concert in September of that year. 
The council submitted that they had identified two ways of providing a platform. The first was to commission a purpose-built platform at a cost of around £pound;20,000. The second was temporarily to transfer a platform from a local ice rink at a cost of between £pound;400-£pound;800. This latter solution, however, would have swallowed almost the entire profit they would have made. The District Judge's initial view - and this is of interest to all service providers - was that it would have been more reasonable for the council to spend £pound;20,000 for a permanent solution rather than £pound;400-£pound;800 just for this concert. Ultimately, however, he decided that as there were only five to six such standing concerts a year, it was not reasonable in this case for the council to have spent £pound;20,000. 
Had this not been the case, however, he did say that it was irrelevant that £pound;20,000 was beyond the theatre manager's budget. The Code of Practice that accompanies the DDA makes it clear that when assessing what is reasonable it is not the discrete finances of the particular provider, ie the theatre manager, that should be considered. It is the overall finances of the service provider, which in this case was the council, that should be taken into account and the council could have afforded £pound;20,000.
Mr Baggley lost his claim and was unsuccessful on appeal. The court held the council had taken all reasonable steps to try to provide the auxiliary aid of the platform before the concert, notwithstanding the length of time it had known about its anticipatory duties under the DDA and that Mr Baggley intended to attend this concert and the fact that, by the time this case was heard, a solution at a cost of £pound;4,000 had been found. The court's decision might have been different if such standing concerts were not such a small part of the service generally provided in that hall and if the council had been unable to demonstrate the steps that it had taken since 1990 to make the building accessible.
Cox v General Medical Council (GMC)
Ms Cox had an accident during her first year of medical training that resulted in her using a wheelchair. She dropped out of her medical training after her first year but subsequently obtained a first class honours degree in pathobiology from a different university. 
Whilst studying for this degree she decided that she wished to become a pathologist. As pathologists need first to qualify as doctors she applied to resume her medical training. Only the University of Oxford was willing to consider her application. They asked her and the hospital at which she would undertake her practical training how she would undertake the duties required of her and were satisfied that with some reasonable adjustments she should be able to complete her training.
The University offered her a place subject to the GMC agreeing to register her. Such registration is necessary for anyone who wishes to practice as a doctor. The GMC, however, refused, saying i was not satisfied that she would be able to meet the practical standards necessary to qualify as doctor. Ms Cox brought a claim under Part II of the DDA on the basis that as a trade organisation the GMC had discriminated against her. The GMC defended the claim on the technical point that it was not a trade organisation but a qualifying body and the DDA, unlike other discrimination legislation, does not apply to qualifying bodies. While Ms Cox was successful before the employment tribunal the employment appeal tribunal accepted the GMC's argument. 
The Government has, however, indicated that it intends to amend the DDA to make qualifying bodies subject to its provisions. Qualifying bodies should ensure disabled people are not rejected because of assumptions that reasonable adjustments to processes will adversely affect standards.
Bela Gor can be contacted on 020 7403 3020. Email: bela.gor@employers-forum.co.uk

Open to questions
In this regular feature, the Forum's helpline team answer common questions and concerns related to employment and service provision for disabled people
Q We would like to offer a job to a disabled candidate who finds it very difficult to use public transport because of her disability. She has an adapted car, which she uses regularly. Unfortunately we have very limited car parking space. Do we have an obligation to provide a parking space for her?
A There are several different aspects to this query. First, establish why the candidate cannot use public transport. Is parking absolutely essential? Does she find it difficult to use public transport during the rush hour when she is unlikely to get a seat? If so you could discuss with her altering her working hours so that she can avoid the rush hour. This will obviously depend on the job not requiring her to be available at specific times.
Secondly, is it essential or desirable that the candidate works at this particular office? Perhaps she could work somewhere which is easier for her to get to or from home? If, however, 
* the candidate has to work at your office, and 
* she would be substantially disadvantaged because of her disability by having to use public transport, and
* you do have parking facilities
you may well have to provide a parking space for her as a reasonable adjustment under the DDA. 
You say that you have limited car parking space. This suggests you have some form of policy on how spaces are allocated. Beware of rigid policies which allocate spaces by, for example, seniority, grade or length of service, as it is likely to be discriminatory to deny a space to a disabled person who needs it on the grounds of such a policy. 
When drawing up or revising parking policies, you should note that the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions recommends that if you have up to 200 bays for employees and visitors, you should provide individual bays for each disabled employee who needs one - plus two additional ones, or 5 per cent of total capacity whichever is greater. 
These guidelines provide a useful starting point but you should always be flexible and consider each case individually. Remember also that a person with a mobility problem may need to park as close as possible or on an accessible route to the building.
In practical terms in this case, if all your spaces have already been allocated, you could ask those who have spaces, including senior management, seriously to consider giving up their space. You could also explore the possibility and cost of leasing an extra space. Ultimately, however, you may have to consider removing the right to a space from another employee who does not really need it if a new (or an existing employee who becomes disabled) needs it as a reasonable adjustment to enable them to work for you.

Q We are holding a series of talks open to the public in a variety of locations around the UK. Most of the venues we have booked are in fully accessible hotels. One conference room, however, does not have an induction loop system. We asked the hotel to install a system. They are willing to do so but insist that we will have to pay for it, as they are not obliged to provide this service. Can they pass this cost on to us?
A The DDA makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person. In this instance both you and the hotel are service providers. This means that not only do both of you have to ensure that you do not treat a disabled person less favourably, but you both also have to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that a disabled person does not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to use your service. An auxiliary aid such as an induction loop is an example of such a reasonable adjustment.
The DDA requires service providers to anticipate the needs of disabled people and make reasonable adjustments accordingly. Presumably this is why you are trying to ensure that all the venues you have booked for this series of talks are accessible. The hotel however should also have anticipated that they might have a disabled customer who needs an induction loop and installed one in readiness. 
However, they have not and in this instance their "customer" is not a disabled person but yourselves. 
As the right to have a reasonable adjustment made under the DDA can only be exercised by an individual disabled person who has found it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access the service, you cannot take any legal action against the hotel.
Nevertheless, as the host of these talks you are still a service provider and have to provide reasonable adjustments for a disabled person. In other words, if a disabled person found it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access the talk because there was no induction loop, any legal action that he or she might decide to take would be against you and not the hotel. 
You should, therefore, ensure as you have been doing, that all venues are fully accessible before booking them. Unfortunately in this case it would seem that you will either have to pay for the induction loop system yourselves or cancel the booking and transfer your talk to another accessible venue. 
However, in view of the possibility that you (and other customers) might take their business elsewhere and given their own obligations as service providers under the DDA (albeit not in this particular instance), the hotel might be persuaded to install the system.
Forum note 
The Forum feels this situation is unnecessarily ambiguous and will be approaching the DRC for clarification. We would be grateful if members could get in touch with any examples they have. Contact Bela Gor on 020 7403 3020 or email: bela.gor@employers-forum.co.uk
Information helpline
The Forum's information team answers thousands of queries each year on every aspect of disability as it affects employers and their employees, customers and other stakeholders. We have leading authorities on the DDA to back up the team and are uniquely placed to find practical solutions and mutual benefit. The team can also signpost callers to a range of Forum briefing papers and publications containing further advice and information.
Helpline: 020 7403 3020

Forum news
New guide for small businesses
The Forum, with sponsorship from HSBC, has published a booklet, What About Disability?, aimed at making it easier for small businesses to get it right for disabled employees and disabled customers.
A unique partnership of the Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Business, British Chambers of Commerce, Institute of Directors and the Disability Rights Commission advised on content and is helping to distribute the guide as widely as possible.
The booklet provides the basic facts about disability, the law and how a best practice approach can benefit small businesses. Information on Access to Work support for disabled employees and a specially adapted Forum eight-point agenda for small business are also included. The booklet features a series of new cartoons from Private Eye cartoonist, Ed McLachlan, and a quick quiz to test reader knowledge of disability.
Tony Ashford, general manager personal banking at HSBC, said: "Meeting the needs of our disabled customers is very important to our business. What About Disability? is an easy-to-read booklet that gets the message across quickly. Customer service and the attitude of staff are key drivers in repeat purchase decisions for all customers. Getting it right for disabled customers enables you to get it right for all customers."
For more information contact the publications team on 020 7403 3020

Customisation is catching on
The Ministry of Defence has customised 40,000 copies of the Forum's Disability Communication Guide as part of a new disability awareness training programme. 
Donna Austin, equal opportunities officer at the MoD, said: "As a member of the Forum we believe that distributing this guide will help us all to better understand and meet the needs of people with disabilities.
"Staff are encouraged to use this guide to assist them in understanding and meeting the needs of job applicants and colleagues with disabilities so that they are able to maximise their contribution to the department's work and fulfil their own potential," she added. 
Following the International Labour Organisation's customisation of 'Unlocking Potential' (see Update, February 2002), the organisation has had a further 6,000 copies translated into three languages. Employers in Spain, France and Portugal will be now be able to read the disability business case in their native language, signalling that the Forum is becoming the world's leading publishing house on disability as it affects business. 
For information about customising Forum publications, call Richard Molyneux or Samantha Hussey on 020 7403 3020.

Legal advice
Tailor-made legal advice is now available to members through the Forum's new DDA masterclass events. 
Designed and delivered by Forum legal policy manager Bela Gor, the half-day events provide up to 15 company representatives with an understanding of what the DDA means and how to put it into practice. Bookings made before 28 June receive a special rate of £pound;999.
Call the Forum on 020 7403 3020

The escalating cost of stress
Over 140 employers attended the Forum's mental health conference held in London earlier this year. Hosted by Gold Card member BT, the conference was designed to look at employment adjustments for people with mental health problems. Delegates heard that stress and mental health-related issues are emerging as one of the most pressing issues form employers and blue-chip companies are losing millions of pounds each year through absenteeism and early retirement. 
Speakers at the event included Dr Bob Grove from the Institute for Applied Health and Social Policy, Miles Rinaldi from South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, Liz Aram from Working Minds and Dr Paul Litchfield from BT.
Further information on this subject is contained in the Forum's briefing paper 5: A practical guide to employment adjustments for people with mental health problems 

Breakfast briefings
The Forum holds a breakfast briefing each month. Each briefing provides an opportunity to: 
* hear about the Forum's aims and work and the changing employer approach to disability
* review some of the latest issues and developments relating to the employment of people with disabilities
* network with other employers
* hear from senior executives of companies involved in the work of the Forum. 
Details of this year's remaining briefings, host member and the Forum associate attending are: 
12 June Prudential, 8.30-10.30am, TBC
17 July Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 10am-12noon, Kate Nash
11 Sept Home Office, 8.30am-10.30am, James Partridge
16 Oct J P Morgan, 10am-12noon, Andrew Bruce
13 Nov Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, 8.30am-10.30am, David Bonnett
11 Dec Shell, 10am-12noon, Alice Maynard