CSR: now you can get the facts online The Forum has published a series of online briefings for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practitioners worldwide. This is in response to the 2003 Global Inclusion Benchmark, which found that only 32 per cent of companies whose social reports were examined showed a clear public commitment to disabled people as a stakeholder group. The briefings examine the disability dimension in key areas such as employment, labour standards, human rights, customer relations and the digital divide. The Forum, in partnership with AccountAbility and with support from Cable & Wireless, produced these briefings to equip business advisers for the first time with the facts on disability. Eight key advisory organisations from around the world were invited to display the briefings on their websites. By incorporating disability into its CSR strategy a company can access untapped reserves of talent, open up new markets, improve operational efficiency, promote new sources of ideas and creativity, while building reputation and brand loyalty. Joe Franses from Cable & Wireless said: "We are keen to ensure that disability is closely aligned to the CSR agenda, and we are delighted to support 'Disability Online' as part of our Gold Card membership commitment." CSR managers can access these online briefings to get the facts on disability and ensure that they are at the forefront of responsible business practice. Briefings are available on the following topics: € The strategic business case € Disability: some facts € Case studies € Investing in human potential € Serving disabled customers € Human rights € Labour standards € The digital divide. For more details visit www.employers-forum.co.uk/www/csr/sttn/index.htm or call Rhiannon Suter on 020 7089 2415 New look for Update Welcome to the newly designed Update magazine. Thank you to everyone who participated in the reader survey. Many of your content and design suggestions - including a change to A4 format - have been implemented. We hope you like the new design and will continue to contribute to Update with examples of best practice and all the good work that goes on among the Forum's members. If you have any comments on the new design, contact the Forum's PR manager, Caroline Leon on 020 7089 2480 or email caroline.leon@employers-forum.co.uk Forum works on benchmarking The Forum is working with some of its Gold Card member companies and diversity consultant, Dr Gillian Shapiro, to develop the world's first comprehensive disability benchmarking tool. The Gold Card members include Abbey, Barclays, BT, Bupa, Cable & Wireless, Centrica, the Department for Education and Skills, HSBC, Job Centre Plus, Royal Mail and Unum Provident. The Disability Standard will help organisations to ensure they have the right policies and procedures in place and are working to the spirit of the DDA. It enables organisations to position disability as it affects employees and customers and to build the cultures and behaviour to support best practice. The Disability Standard will enable organisations to: € review their year-on-year progress on disability € compare their performance with other organisations € gather the information needed to set out an annual strategy and action plan € develop examples of good practice € share experience with and learn from other organisations € communicate the organisation's commitment to disability confidence. The Disability Standard is now in the final stages of development, and the final version will be launched early next year. To find out more, call Aletheia Gentle at the Forum on 020 7403 3020 BT Group wins Fawcett award The Henry Fawcett Award for achievement in the areas of disability and action in the community was awarded to the BT Group this year. The three other shortlisted companies were American Express, Ford Motor Company and Lockheed Martin. Presenting the award, Avril Hart, head of disability policy, Royal Mail, praised BT for having a "dedicated disability champion and disability forum at a senior level to review equality and diversity issues on a regular basis". This forum ensures action plans are implemented via a network of local trainers, which reaches all areas of BT's business. BT, a Gold Card member of the Forum, has developed a fully accessible and comprehensive intranet site, which supports its disability awareness training programme. For more details, contact Avril Hart, Royal Mail's head of disability policy, 01938 580320 or avril.hart@royalmail.com An inclusive approach to recruiting online With the support of the London Development Agency, the Forum has produced guidance aimed at helping every company to recruit talented disabled people online. As more and more companies turn to e-recruitment, increasing numbers of people face being excluded. Inaccessible e-recruitment websites can exclude up to 1.3 million people in the UK alone whose impairments affect internet use. E-recruitment processes, such as CV sorting technology, online testing and the use of some html email can also be discriminatory, affecting up to 6.9 million disabled people of working age in the UK and up to 386 million people worldwide. This unique guidance includes detailed analysis of the barriers facing disabled job seekers, information on the law, guidance and tips for minimising the risk of outsourcing of recruiment. Guidance on website accessibility and on fair and effective e-recruitment policies and processes is available at barrierfree-recruitment.com. Barrier-free e-recruitment: rec-ruiting disabled people online is available from the Employers' Forum on Disability, price £pound;15 (£pound;25 for non-members). NHS trust becomes Gold Card member One of the largest NHS trusts in the country, University College London Hospitals, has opted to become a Gold Card member of the Forum. As part of its campaign to raise awareness of disability it called on consultants Churchill and Friend to run a series of workshops. The first programme was delivered to the most senior staff and in particular those who have strategic or policymaking responsibilities. The presentation explored the benefits of Gold Card membership and also looked at the implications of the DDA and development of a UCLH disability policy. The second programme, aimed at senior managers, looked at the DDA's implications for employment and customer service. The third programme was for trainers who will be responsible for providing staff with an understanding of the DDA's implications, particularly in relation to patient care. www.churchillandfriend.com Ryanair to take wheelchair case to Court of Appeal Ryanair has won the right to an appeal against the guilty verdict of not making reasonable adjustments for a disabled customer in a landmark court case. The Court of Appeal will hear the case between June and November this year. The airline was found guilty in February of acting unlawfully when it charged a disabled person £pound;18 for the use of a wheelchair at Stansted airport. The judgment followed a test case taken by Bob Ross, a disabled man from London who was supported by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The airline will ask the appeal court to overturn what it calls a "defective judgment". It claims that the case should have been brought against Stansted. Ryanair says the fault lies with the airport, which should provide free wheelchairs for travellers. Depending on the appeal outcome, the DRC may consider a class action. It wants compensation for 35 people who have complained about paying the wheelchair charge when travelling with Ryanair. See page 20: In the Courts Marks & Spencer to offer up to 10,000 placements Marks & Spencer has launched an initiative offering up to 10,000 work experience placements to people who face barriers getting jobs. The scheme called Marks & Start will run over the next three years and will offer placements of two to four weeks for disabled people, as well as parents returning to work, young unemployed and homeless people. Each participant will be allocated a 'buddy', an M&S employee who will act as a mentor. Travel expenses, a uniform and lunch will also be provided. The initiative builds on M&S's Ready for Work programme, which provides work experience opportunities for people affected by homelessness and has already helped over 600 people. Head of corporate and social responsibility, Ed Williams, said: "Our network of stores and offices gives us a unique opportunity to provide disabled people with real work experience, which will hopefully equip them with skills and confidence that will help them find a job." Meanwhile, the company has bought 100,000 copies of the Forum's booklet, Welcoming disabled customers. It will use them in its disability awareness training for staff, between the summer and October 2004. For more details www.marksandspencer. com/marksandstart or 020 7268 4502 Diamond initiative in Wandsworth A new campaign to help disabled people find jobs was launched by Generate, a charity based in Wandsworth. Called the Diamond Initiative and funded by Wandsworth Council, it encourages employers to employ people with disabilities. The project is currently compiling a database to match vacancies with the skills and experiences of disabled jobseekers. For more information call Richard Lamplough on 020 8874 9286 Facelift for Forum guide The Forum's best-selling publication, the Disability communication guide, has been redesigned and updated. The guide is a quick reference for anyone who might work with or serve disabled people. It advises on specific impairments and preferred modes of assistance, and gives guidance on language and etiquette. There is also practical advice for employees on how to recognise and avoid attitudes and behaviour which can inadvertently create misunderstandings and barriers. For further details of prices, licensing and customisation of the Disability communications guide, contact the publications team on 020 7403 3020 Cost of DDA is not a problem, say firms Only 26 per cent of companies that have already made changes in the run-up to the DDA said cost was a problem, says a Department of Work and Pensions report. However, the report, based on a survey of 2,000 employers, also found that low awareness of the DDA was a major barrier to making adjustments. Only 46 per cent of employers in the survey, who had heard of the DDA, knew that the changes were coming in October this year. Size of workplace was also an important factor - smaller workplaces were less likely to make adjustments for disabled people. For the full report, Disability in the workplace: employers' and service providers' responses to the DDA in 2003 and preparation for 2004 changes, see dwp.gov. uk or call 020 7712 2171 See Countdown to DDA, page 14 New chair for Ofcom body Ofcom has appointed Mike Whitlam as the chairman of its Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled People. The committee was set up under the Communications Act 2003 to advise Ofcom on the interests and opinions of older people and people with disabilities with regard to broadcasting, telecommunications and spectrum matters. Mike Whitlam will be responsible for chairing a committee of around 10 part-time members. He is chief executive of Vision 2020 the Right to Sight, an international programme which aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020. He is a former chief executive of the RNID, where he was responsible for setting up the first UK deaf telephone service, Typetalk. Mike Whitlam said: "I hope the committee will help fulfil Ofcom's wish that the broadcast media and telecommunications services are accessible to people with disabilities and older people, as well as reflecting them positively as members of a diverse society." For more details, contact ofcom on contact@ofcom.org.uk or 0845 456 3000 News in brief An online recruitment fair, organised by Hobsons, attracted over 175 students with disabilities. In total over 1,750 students 'attended' the virtual event. Disabled students were particularly pleased with the 'text-only' technology available at the event. Participating employers included BT, BAE Systems, NHS, PwC, Sussex Police and Shell. The next fair will take place in October. € For details contact Sandy Bhangal, Hobsons diversity manager, on 020 7958 5017, email: sandy.bhangal@hobsons.co.uk The Forum, in conjunction with the Post Office, has launched 'How to get your money at the Post Office', an easy-to-read leaflet which provides vital guidance on how all customers, including disabled people, can do their banking and get cash at Post Office branches. To produce the guide, the Forum used focus groups of people with learning difficulties. The guide will be distributed to disability groups by the Forum and is available at post offices. British Energy is to work with Radar to develop mentoring for disabled people after the company's 5,500-strong UK workforce voted for a disability theme for their first employee charity of the year. British Energy diversity manager Geoff Pears said: "Through Radar 's network, we are hoping to draw attention to the fact that we are able to offer work experience to disabled people at our sites." € www.radar.org.uk HSBC backs new carers initiative A group of major employers, employers' organisations and government agencies have joined forces to support carers in the workplace. Aims of the Employers for Carers consortium are: € To identify and promote to employers and policy-makers the business benefits of supporting carers € To influence employment policy and practice to create a culture which will support carers in and into work. A new website provides employers and carers with information including a range of tools to support employers in developing carer support, such as a self-assessment tool and case studies. Employers for Carers grew out of the ACE National project, funded by the European Social Fund's Equal programme and led by Carers UK, which addresses the barriers to work faced by carers. More than three million of the UK's six million carers juggle caring with paid work - around one in seven employees. Members of Employers for Carers include BT, Business in the Community, the Department for Trade and Industry, HSBC and Jobcentre Plus Employers for Carers will open a debate on the need for a National Care Strategy to help develop services that enable people to have lives that include both care and work. A range of events and activities throughout 2004 will culminate in a reception at the House of Commons. www.employersforcarers.org.uk 020 7490 8818 Employers pledge to 'double up' on jobs Over 350 employers have signed up to an initiative to double the number of disabled people they employ. Remploy set up the 'Double the opportunities' programme last year. Participating employers include Matalan, Morrisons, local authorities, police forces and NHS trusts. Remploy chief executive Bob Warner said: "We are delighted with the response and we challenge employers to keep the momentum going in 2004. This will be an important year for the employment of disabled people as the Disability Discrimination Act is being extended to businesses with fewer than 15 employees." During last year, Remploy reported a 30 per cent increase in the number of people it helped to move into unsupported employment, totalling more than 1,600. For more details call 0800 138 7656 or visit www.remploy.co.uk New project to target 2,000 firms A new project funded by the European Social Fund aims to improve diversity in small and medium-sized businesses. 'Diversity means business' will run for three years and involve contacting over 2,000 companies. The companies will be offered a tool kit to promote diversity, a self-assessment pack and diversity action plans. Employers will also receive specialist training in the employment of disabled staff. The project will contact small businesses through chambers of commerce and other networks. It also hopes major employers will encourage smaller businesses in their supply chains to take advantage of the training and tool kits on offer. Penny Melville-Brown of Disability Dynamics, project director and associate of the Employers' Forum on Disability, welcomes contact from major businesses who seek to encourage employment diversity within their supply chains. She would also like to hear from SMEs in the South East that want to learn more about the project. She can be contacted at penny@laylands.co.uk or on 01329 841814. New guide to making the most of Leeds Leeds City Council has launched a town centre access guide to ensure disabled people can make the most of the city's transport, leisure, shopping and business facilities. The guide gives information on parking, access and facilities, including detailed information such as the height of counters, and whether doors are automatic and how wide they are. The guide is distributed free to disabled individuals and disability groups and is also being made available in print, from the council's website, on a CD-rom, in Braille and on tape. For more details call 0113 234 8080 or visit www.leeds.gov.uk news in brief Over 90 per cent of opinion leaders believe that having a facial disfigurement is an obstacle for a person getting and succeeding in a customer-related job, a survey has revealed. Over 100 senior people in business, government, non-profit and media organisations were interviewed on their attitudes and awareness about disfigurement, for research commissioned by the charity, Changing Faces. € For more information visit www.changingfaces.co.uk or 020 7706 4232 A guide to deaf sign language has been produced for service providers. Let's sign for work has been written in collaboration with Jobcentre Plus and contains over 170 illustrated signs, with explanatory captions, communication advice, useful background, index and contacts. The guide is suitable for people whose work may bring them into contact with deaf people. It is designed to supplement training and interpreter services. € See www.deafsign.com for more details (under Sign Language resources) or telephone 01642 580505 Jobcentre Plus/Access to Work (London region only) has a new address: Access to Work Business Centre Windsor House 185 Ealing Road Alperton, Middx HA0 4LW Tel: 020 8218 2710 Fax: 020 8218 2715 Minicom: 020 8218 2716 DRC urges Ministers to strengthen new Bill The government's draft Disability Bill, published in the last Queen's speech, has been scrutinised by a committee of MPs who will be publishing their findings this month. They have considered submissions by interested parties including the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). Caroline Ellis, parliamentary manager at DRC, says: "We have called on the committee to consider widening the definition of disability so that it protects more people with mental health issues." The commission is also pushing for employment tribunals to have the power to order the reinstatement of employees to their jobs, if it is appropriate, if an employer is found guilty of employment discrimination. Overall, the Bill, even in its current state, will be welcomed by people whose cases against employers are being turned away because of inadequacies in the current law. Over 10 per cent of cases brought to the DRC are being turned away at the moment. One example is a woman who is undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer. She was told by her employer that she would either have to take holiday leave for treatment or make the time up. Under the terms of the current Disability Discrimination Act she cannot challenge this, as she does not qualify under the definition of disability. The draft bill contains additional measures to protect people with long-term progressive conditions - such as cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis - from discrimination. DRC chairman Bert Massie said: "The DRC will work with the Government on the Bill in the months ahead to secure a swift passage through parliament." The new bill also contains a legal public sector duty to promote disability equality. Public bodies will be required to produce clear policies and action plans aimed at proactively tackling discrimination, rather than waiting for discrimination to happen and tackling it only after the event. Transport services will also now be covered by the law. The Forum and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have also broadly welcomed the new legislation, which avoids introducing substantial changes to the current framework at a time when many small firms (those employing 15 staff or fewer) will be dealing with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) for the first time in October 2004. The CBI said it believes that October 2004 is the most appropriate and realistic date for the small firms' exemption from the employment provisions of the DDA to be removed. "It will make 2004 the year when full civil rights for disabled people are delivered," a spokesman said. "Introducing both changes to the law at once, so long as they are properly communicated to small firms well in advance, should minimise the scope for confusion or uncertainty." A PDF version of the draft Disability Bill is available at www.dwp.gov.uk/ publications/dwp/2003/disability discrimination/dd_bill.pdf Zurich picks up an award Zurich Financial Services has won an award from Working for Opportunities, an organisation that links disabled people with job opportunities. The company was recognised for its work on: € Web equality training € Setting up a diversity steering group € Increasing disabled recruits € Mentoring disabled people. Chris Staples, community affairs director, said: "We understand this is merely a first step, but as we aim to improve our reputation in this area, such recognition can only help." For information, contact Working for Opportunities, wfotrust.org.uk Senior Merrill Lynch staff convinced by business case Investment bank Merrill Lynch has become a Gold Card member of the Forum. Diversity adviser Melanie Swainston said the company had taken this decision following a diversity event attended by senior staff, including the chairman, as well as guests, experts and specialists from a variety of organisations. A guest panel, which included Susan Scott-Parker, shared insights into the challenges facing those with disability in the corporate world. Having heard first hand the strong business case for focusing on disability as part of the wider diversity programme, senior managers committed the company to becoming a more active participant in this arena and decided to raise the profile of its commitment by becoming a gold member of the Forum. www.mlim.co.uk Forum to conduct major research project for DWP The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has entered into a two-year contract with the Employers' Forum on Disability to advise on how employers can be engaged to recruit and retain more people with disabilities. The 'Tripod' contract builds on the unique position of the Forum as the employer authority in respect of employing people with disabilities. During the next two years, the Forum will facilitate action research to better understand how employers and intermediary service providers work together. This will include workshops for policy makers, employers and intermediaries and will contribute to a strategic model for shaping employer engagement. Paul Newman, who leads the work for the Forum, said: "We've used 'Tripod' because employers, job seekers and intermediaries all need to be engaged, equipped and delivering together to achieve significant results. "In the past, governments have often viewed welfare to work programmes primarily from the perspective of the disadvantaged job seeker. "Experience from many of the New Deal initiatives has shown that the employer or demand perspective is of equal relevance." The work will be steered by a group made up from the Forum, DWP and JobCentre Plus and chaired by James Partridge, chief executive of Changing Faces. Police news Helping police with their inquiries Several police forces around the country have set up independent advisory groups (IAGs) on disability. West Mercia Constabulary set up an independent advisory group in January this year. This builds on the success of the force's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group and black and minority ethnic group. Pauline Painter, diversity adviser, says: "We realised how effective these groups were and thought it would be very useful, in the run-up to the further implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), to have a group representing disabled people." She actively recruited people from disability organisations by giving talks to the local community and through word of mouth. The group started with six people and hopes to expand to 12-15. They meet once a month and set their own agenda. Painter acts as a facilitator and ensures members of the force can attend if they are needed to answer particular questions. The group has already helped with access audits of police buildings. Some police forces are also setting up disabled staff associations. Gwent was one of the pioneers, setting up a forum for disabled staff two years ago. Personnel manager Kathryn Thomas says it has helped the force to adapt its buildings as they have had direct feedback from people using them on a daily basis. "Even though we conduct access audits, there are still some things we could improve on," says Thomas. For example, a partially sighted employee pointed out protruding sockets from walls and said that visibility tape on floors would help him to move around the building more easily. For information on Police Disability Network call Cora Lowry 020 7403 3020 Tell us if you're attacked, says Metropolitan Police 'Help us cut out hate crime' is the message being issued by the Metropolitan Police Service in a new advertising campaign. The campaign is aimed at encouraging victims of hate crime to report incidents to the police, It features a poster which specifically highlights the fact that hate crime can mean abusing people because they are disabled. Commander Cressida Dick, head of the Diversity Directorate, said: "We want the offenders who hate, hurt and harm others to know the Met will do everything in its power to find them out and put a stop to their crime." 'Cut Out Hate Crime' and 'Unmask the Abuser' adverts are now appearing in newspapers, magazines and on the Underground. Detective Constable Diane Madden says the Met is also rewriting its policy and procedures. Previously there was a generic policy for all hate crime, but now documents about specific hate crimes are being produced. She hopes the campaign and the new policies will raise awareness both internally and externally. "We want people with disabilities to feel confident about reporting such crimes to the police." The campaign is timely. In a recent survey by the London Mayoral office, 79 per cent of disabled people said they had been harassed. The survey also found that 8 per cent of disabled people had been victims of violent crime, compared with 4 per cent of non-disabled people. Disabled people were also four times more likely to be sexually abused. For a copy of the report visit www.london.gov.uk or telephone 020 7983 4000 or minicom 020 7983 4458 Forum developments New Gold Card members Recruitment company Blue Arrow, investment house Merrill Lynch and computer company Cisco have all become Gold Card members. New members New members of the Forum include betting retail chain Ladbrokes, the government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Texthelp Systems, a software company based in Northern Ireland, insurance company, the Generali Group, Shropshire County Council, credit card company Capital One, St Mary's NHS Trust and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. New appointments Sir Roy Gardner has been appointed president of the Forum's presidents group after three years as chair. David Mills, chief executive of Post Office Ltd, has been appointed as the new chair of the Forum's board of directors. David has been a board director with the Forum since 1993 and officially became chair in February 2004. David Mills has been chief executive of Post Office Ltd since 2002 - in this time the Post Office has embarked on various initiatives to address disability. We have three new board members, Ian Morfett, managing director of BT Wholesale Strategy and Business Development, Richard Bide, director of HR at Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd, and Duncan Mitchell, vice-president and managing director, Cisco Systems Ltd. One of the Forum's most recent recruits is business operations manager, David Goodchild, who is leading the Forum's publications, events, and PR and marketing teams. Before joining the Forum, David had a long and varied career in the media industry, specialising in magazines, newspapers, web publishing and event management. Gold Card Profile Total approach to service Patrick McCurry discovers how service station operator Total UK is making inroads in welcoming disabled customers Filling up at a service station, or even popping into the forecourt shop, can be difficult for many people with disabilities. But Forum Gold Card member Total UK is now exploring ways of making its services more accessible and welcoming to disabled customers. Total became the fourth largest oil company in the UK following global mergers with Elf and Fina in recent years and now has a network of roughly 1,000 service stations in England and Wales, employing 4,000 staff. After the mergers, the last of which was 21ˇ2 years ago, Total UK's new status as a major player in the service station sector led it to recognise more fully its responsibility regarding diversity, including disability, says HR manager Barry Fitzpatrick. Becoming a Gold Card member is part of that recognition, he says: "We're a relatively new Gold Card member but we've found that membership has helped give us a broader outlook on disability." One of the benefits of Forum membership, says Fitzpatrick, is that it put the company in touch with Phil Friend of disability consultancy Churchill & Friend, who has been advising Total on making its service stations more accessible. Large potential market Friend, who is a wheelchair user, made a presentation to Total's retail director and his team about how the company could improve its services for disabled customers. By so doing, he argued, Total could combine its desire to improve its track record on diversity, while differentiating itself from its rivals and tapping into the potential of the large market of people with disabilities. Accessibility was already in the minds of Total managers, says Friend, given the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements regarding physical access, which become law in October. Total and other oil companies are currently working with the UK Petroleum Industry Association to better understand the implications of the DDA's next phase for filling stations. For the newer stations there are unlikely to be problems but for older outlets there may well be more challenges, says Fitzpatrick. "In any case, we want to go beyond the legal requirements in our efforts to be 'best in class' among our peer group." In a pilot study, the company invested £pound;30,000 in making improvements to three stations in the Milton Keynes area so that they are more accessible to disabled customers. The company hopes to learn lessons from this pilot that can be rolled out nationally. Why Milton Keynes? Milton Keynes was chosen because it has a relatively high population of people with disabilities. This is partly due to the fact that the town is relatively new and the buildings are therefore more accessible. The age of the filling stations ranged from two years to 10 years, with the newer ones requiring less work on access. According to Friend, a company like Total needs to consider several adaptations or adjustments when it comes to improving access at service stations. An obvious one is how to serve customers who cannot easily get out of their car. "One option is for the sales assistant to come out and serve them, but many service stations these days only have one or two staff, and so that can be difficult," says Friend. Other issues include how to make ancillary services, such as air pressure and checking oil, accessible by, for example, not placing equipment on plinths. The pilot scheme also looked at service station shops, ensuring that there was access for wheelchairs, good lighting and good signage. "It's a mixture of 'hard' stuff, such as physical access and 'soft' stuff, such as the display of goods in the shop," says Friend. Having carried out the improvements, the next step is to train the staff at the three filling stations in how to serve and greet disabled customers, says Fitzpatrick. The company also wants to hire people with disabilities for the pilot stations, he adds. Traditionally it has been difficult for filling stations to employ disabled people, he argues, because of safety concerns: "If there was a fire or other emergency, the worry has been that someone with a disability could be restricted in how quickly they could evacuate the station." The company is still considering how it could best employ people with disabilities at the Milton Keynes filling stations. Awareness training crucial Fitzpatrick believes disability awareness training is crucial to Total's plans. Staff at the Milton Keynes stations will receive training by the autumn; this will then be rolled out to other areas. "People need to understand that disability is about much more than the stereotype of someone in a wheelchair," he explains. "The training will look at how staff can best serve people with different impairments." Fitzpatrick accepts that Total, and other companies in the oil sector, have not been at the forefront when it comes to disability. However he argues that they are now taking the issue seriously and that being a Gold Card member is a reflection of that commitment. He would like to take things forward through, perhaps, some kind of job swap arrangement with the Forum or a disability group. "That would allow us to gain feedback on how we're doing, how we can improve manager awareness of disability and so on," says Fitzpatrick. Forum events and contacts, such as Friend, have helped Total develop its thinking on disability, but Fitzpatrick recognises that there is still much to be done. Further information from Barry Fitzpatrick on 01923 694107 or email barry.Fitzpatrick@ total.co.uk Patrick McCurry is a freelance journalist Countdown to October 2004 Anticipating opportunity Being prepared for new responsibilities under the DDA will help service providers to welcome the UK's 8.6 million disabled customers. Update provides a guide to the changes...; From 1 October 2004 all service providers - from shops, restaurants and pubs to theatres and swimming pools - must have to consider making 'reasonable adjustments' to physical features that make it difficult for disabled people to use their services. But rather than focus on costs or possible inconvenience, service providers should seize the opportunity to improve access and increase business. Since coming into force in 1996, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) has introduced a range of duties on providers of goods, facilities and services (commonly referred to as 'service providers'). These responsibilities come under Part 3 of the DDA and require service providers to anticipate the needs of disabled customers to ensure they do not discriminate against them. Since 2 December 1996 it has been unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably for a reason related to their disability. Since October 1999 service providers have had to make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way they provide their services. Service providers must also where reasonable and necessary: € change practices, policies and procedures if they make it impossible or unreasonably difficult to use the service € provide auxiliary aids or services € provide the service by alternative means where physical features of the premises make it impossible or unreasonably difficult to use the service. The new obligations that come into force on 1 October will give disabled customers new rights of access. What will the law say? From October 2004, service providers must be able to show that they have taken reasonable steps to change or overcome physical features of their premises that currently make access impossible or unreasonably difficult. Why is this important? The UK's disabled population has a combined spending power of about £pound;50 billion, so making goods and services easily available to this group makes good business and ethical sense. In addition, millions of disabled people are now in employment, and the number continues to rise, which means ever more disabled people travelling on business, staying in hotels, visiting exhibitions, attending conferences and buying mobile phones. Organisations that are disability aware will be better placed to respond to this growing customer base. Finally, organisations that make their goods and services easily available to disabled people will also open them to others, including older customers, parents with pushchairs and passengers carrying heavy baggage. What is a 'physical feature' under the DDA? Physical features can include: € steps or stairways € kerbs, exterior surfaces and paving € parking areas, building entrances and exits (including emergency escape routes) € internal and external doors and gates € toilet and washing facilities € public facilities (such as telephones, counters or service desks) € lighting and ventilation € lifts and escalators. Remember that physical features are not just buildings or indoor facilities. They could include seating in the street or a pub garden; stiles and paths in a country park; or fixed signs in a shop or a leisure facility. Sensible management decisions, some of which cost nothing, can often make a substantial contribution. The Employers' Forum on Disability publication, Open for business, (now being updated) provides a guide to what can be done and shows that new equipment and building are not the only ways of improving access. Best practice Forum members from both the public and private sectors are demonstrating that providing accessible goods and services for disabled people is good for business. In the past 12 months initiatives have included: € a guide from the Post Office helping people with learning difficulties to access their banking services € Zurich Financial Services backing a disability access audit of rugby grounds to improve facilities for spectators € Scottish Power redesigning customer bills and other customer correspondence to make them easier for disabled people to use € BSkyB launching a special service team to offer support to subscribers to its digital TV service who are disabled € Waitrose revamping its website with screen readers for visually impaired customers and tabbed navigation for those unable to use a mouse € a travel guide for people with learning difficulties from Transport for London € Surrey Police introducing speech-enabling software to make its website accessible to people with visual impairments and reading difficulties € London Underground redesigning signage to highlight stations with step-free exits € a rolling programme by Barclays to produce customer information in a range of accessible formats and install equipment such as induction loops at branches. Susan Scott-Parker, chief executive of the Employers' Forum on Disability, says the argument for service providers to act now is compelling: "No provider of goods and services can afford to miss out on the estimated £pound;50 billion spending power of 8.6 million disabled customers across the UK, never mind the hundreds of millions around the world." Double your luck For the UK's small business community, 1 October 2004 will have a double significance. As service providers, they will now have a duty under Part 3 of the DDA to take reasonable steps to tackle those physical features of their premises that act as barriers to disabled people. In addition, October 2004 will see the extension of the employment duties under Part 2 of the DDA to firms that employ fewer than 15 people and to certain currently excluded professions, such as police officers, fire fighters and partners in business partnerships. Small businesses make up over 99 per cent of all businesses in the UK. According to the government, the extension of Part 2 of the Act to cover these firms will put disability on the radar of over a million small businesses. Writing in Update last year, minister for small business Nigel Griffiths said the changes did not represent a burden on small business or more red tape but a real opportunity (Update, September 2003). He said they would "enable small firms to have a more creative and diverse workforce, helping them to reach wider more lucrative markets while creating a positive image". The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has produced a video, Act now, to show what some small firms have done to employ disabled people and to improve service provision for disabled customers. DWP last year launched an award, Access All Areas, to recognise imaginative and innovative changes made by small businesses to their services so that disabled people can use them. Winners included Mouzer, the West Midlands-based consultancy run by Forum Associate Paul Mouzer. To obtain a copy of the free video,call 0845 124 9841 or email DDAinfopack@meads-ltd.co.uk. The video is also available from the DRC on 08457 622 633. www.disability.gov.uk/dda/awards E-learning package available to 165,000 staff Barclays, Inland Revenue and Remploy are among the organisations using the Forum's new interactive learning resource to help managers and staff to adopt disability best practice and to understand their legal obligations. Developed with training organisation Skills Boosters, Disability Confident is a three-part training package that shows how all levels of staff can become confident about their knowledge of disability in order to meet their obligations under the DDA and to support disabled people as employees and customers. This includes the new provisions coming into force from October 2004. Organisations can license Disability Confident for staff intranets and tailor branding of the package to their own requirements. Other Forum members using the resource include BT, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Post Office. In all, over 165,000 employees already access this e-learning resource. The training package uses a mix of media such as video, audio and graphics, and also includes a variety of interactive challenges featuring disabled people in a range of customer and colleague situations. The three modules enable the user to work through the resource at their own pace. They can check their knowledge by using the confidence quizzes and print out their results as a record of achievement. Module 1 provides an introduction to disability and explains why organisations should take it seriously. Module 2 covers communications skills, including advice on appropriate language and behaviour when working with disabled colleagues or serving disabled customers. Module 3 provides an overview of the law and best practice, including reasonable adjustments and the responsibilities under the physical access provisions of the Act that will come into force in October 2004. Richard Knight, the Forum's chief operating officer, says Disability Confident represents "an invaluable tool" for employers and employees to improve their disability confidence. "This is a resource that can be accessed by an individual employee, at any time, that is informative, engaging and fun to do," he said. To help employers and service providers explain internally how Disability Confident can benefit their organisation, the Forum and Skills Boosters have produced a free video, Making the case, and an internal marketing kit. Further information from the Skills Boosters order line on 020 7357 6444 or email skillboosters@bdpmedia.com Alternatively, contact the Forum's publications team on 020 7403 3020 Resources The Employers' Forum on Disability supports service providers through a range of publications and events. These include Open for business, a step-by-step guide to making premises accessible with advice on staff training and disability legislation. To order a copy, call 020 7403 3020 or email publications@employers-forum.co.uk. The Forum's helpline team provides information about disability as it affects customers and signposts callers to relevant Forum publications and events. Call 020 7403 3020 or email efd@employers-forum.co.uk For further information about Forum services, visit www.employers-forum.co.uk The Disability Rights Commission has launched a website to support its Open4All campaign, which highlights the October 2004 changes. The section for service providers includes answers to frequently asked questions and specialist advice for key areas such as retail, tourism and local authorities. Website: www.open4all.org The DRC has also produced a code of practice on service providers' duties from October 2004. To order a copy, contact DRC's helpline on 08457 622 633 and ask for ST7. Organisations are allowed 10 free copies, and individuals can have two. Further copies cost £pound;2 each. For further information about DRC publications or events, telephone 08457 622 633 (Textphone: 08457 622 644) or visit www.drc.org.uk The Local Government Association, in association with the DRC, has launched guidance for local authorities on their new obligations from October 2004. Access to services: disability equality in local government also provides advice on developing disability equality strategies and examples of good practice. Further information on 020 7664 3131, email info@lga.gov.uk or visit www.lga.gov.uk Profile Accessible technology champion Bob Twitchin tells Radhika Holmstrom about his mission to remove barriers to disabled people fulfilling their potential Bob Twitchin, an Associate of the Forum, has spent 30 years working in tele-communications. For most of that time, he has used a wheelchair. So it was probably inevitable that he would become one of the core people steering policy and service developments for disabled - and older - people's access to the technologies that now play an enormous part in all our lives. "When I started work as a research scientist in 1968 we had one computer on site. When I left BT in 1995, computers had become a standard part of office life," says Twitchin. "At the same time, though, I was conscious that, although I had gained enormously from these technologies, people with other disabilities could not because they didn't have the right equipment." When Twitchin started his professional life he used leg-irons and crutches (he had polio as a child). Making the decision to use a wheelchair full-time was, he says, quite difficult - and other people's reactions certainly sharpened his own feelings about disability. "In the days when I didn't use a chair all the time I used to make a great effort to stand up to greet people. When I did use a wheelchair it was much harder to establish myself as a colleague, as a person." He relished being asked to change attitudes in his workplace: "During my 22 years at BT, I have seen disability move up the agenda with challenges being addressed at higher levels within the organisation. This has been accelerated by developments such as the setting up of the Employers' Forum on Disability. By the time I left there'd been a huge shift, and I think I played some minor part towards that." He left BT to become a consultant but swiftly became involved in the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People (DIEL), a committee advising telecommunications industry regulator Oftel. At the end of 1999 he took over as DIEL chair; the mission - to make equipment and services available in ways that do not exclude older and disabled customers. He and the members of DIEL have also contributed to Oftel's work on issues such as price regulation. Wider remit for Ofcom With the Communications Act, passed in summer 2003, a number of DIEL's recommendations have now passed into law. In particular, disabled and elderly people are quite clearly recognised as a major responsibility for Ofcom, the new advisory body which replaced Oftel and four broadcasting regulators at the end of 2003. Ofcom, which also replaces DIEL, will have a much wider remit and is keen to have an input in areas like representation, employment and training. Twitchin says it is important to recognise that many companies have been showing a strong interest in and commitment to their older and disabled customers, independently of external pressures. The result has been real innovation, first in fixed-line telecommunications and, more recently, in mobile phone services. "Designers are taking in the needs of people with disabilities as part of their mainstream product development - and this, of course, is much simpler for everyone than making products accessible at a late stage," he says. Twitchin is also particularly pleased by the new Telecoms Industry Forum on Disability and Ageing, which was set up following an initiative of DIEL and PhoneAbility. Both fixed and mobile phone operators are using this forum to explore how the industry can meet the requirements of overall regulation while extending their provision beyond immediate legal compliance. Opportunity to develop contacts He is an enthusiastic Associate of the Employers' Forum on Disability: "The great thing about the Forum is that it provides a good opportunity for employers and people with special knowledge of issues affecting disabled people to talk freely - and very often to develop informal contacts as well." He is also a trustee of the 'Is there an accessible loo?' project, set up by his wife Diana in 1997. "We don't talk openly about this real problem, but it can hamper disabled people's involvement in social and business life enormously," Twitchin explains. "ITAAL has developed a directory of accessible loos in England, with over 4,000 entries, and we're now trying to get funding to develop a UK edition which will be available on the internet." While championing accessible toilets and technology has taken up much of Twitchin's energies, he still finds time to relax (he lists flying microlight aircraft as a hobby) and is a licensed reader in the Church of England. In fact, he took a year out of work between 1976 and 1977 to attend Bible College. "I don't see a big distinction between the things I do in the Church - preaching, working with children and taking services - and my other work. I see my religious belief as a thread that runs through the whole of my life." And with accessibility a key issue for 2004, Twitchin's beliefs look certain to continue making an impact on the disability community. To contact the Telecoms Industry Forum on Disability and Ageing, telephone 01480 456447 or email brians.perrett@btinternet.com. Further information about ITAAL from www.itaal.org.uk or email enquiries@itaal.org.uk DIEL's achievements under Twitchin € Oftel guide: Communicating with customers who are disabled, 2001 € Telecoms industry forum on disability and ageing, September 2001 (joint initiative with PhoneAbility) € Sponsoring surveys of products and services by Ricability, including It's your call (2000) and Stay in touch (2003) € Guide for Oftel staff: Supporting consumer representatives in regulatory and co-regulatory initiatives, March 2003 € Text communication research project now under way € Proposal for good practice guide on call steering € Membership of Incom (inclusive communication) EU initiative Radhika Holmstrom is a freelance journalist In the courts Will Ryanair's appeal change its guilty verdict? Bela Gor looks at the detail behind the landmark DDA case The Part III DDA case of Ross v Ryanair Limited and Stansted Airport Limited was widely reported. The Court found that Ryanair had discriminated against Mr Ross but details of the judgment are worth closer examination. Mr Ross was a regular customer of Ryanair flying from Stansted to Perpignan up to four times a year. He does not always use a wheelchair but needed one at Stansted to get from the check-in to the aeroplane. He accepted that he would not have flown to Perpignan as often if the fare had not been so cheap but argued that, whatever the fare, he should not have to pay for a wheelchair. He claimed reimbursement of £pound;36 he had spent on hiring a wheelchair and £pound;300 for buying a wheelchair to use at Stansted and compensation for injury to feelings. The Court noted that Ryanair is the largest low fare or 'no frills' airline in Europe and made profits of around £pound;30 million in its last accounting quarter. Liability as a 'service provider' Mr Ross initially brought his claim against Ryanair alone. Stansted Airport Limited was joined to the proceedings because, although Ryanair accepted that Mr Ross should not have had to pay for a wheelchair, it maintained that it was Stansted Airport's responsibility to provide it. Ryanair did, however, concede that it was not reasonable to require Mr Ross to walk from check-in to the aircraft and that it was not appropriate to class a wheelchair as a 'frill'. Stansted Airport maintained that there was a clear understanding in the UK and Europe that once passengers passed check-in they were the responsibility of the airline. Ryanair had had a policy since 21 August 1995 under which it would only assist passengers travelling with their own wheelchair. In December 2001 this policy was confirmed in a letter which noted that: "There is no longer a supplier at Stansted to offer a 'pay as you go' facility for passengers who do not have their own wheelchair...;. If the passengers do not have their own wheelchair, there will be no assistance at Stansted. This is in accordance with Ryanair Policy." The Court decided that liability in this case rested with Ryanair and not Stansted and that Ryanair was a service provider under Section 19 of the DDA. Types of discrimination The Court held that Ryanair had discriminated under Section 19(1)(d) of the Act in the terms on which it provided the service to Mr Ross. It was found that he was treated on less favourable terms because if he had not been disabled he would not have needed a wheelchair and if he had not needed a wheelchair he would not have had to pay for one. Ryanair's submission that the service it provides is the use of means of transport and so excluded from the DDA under Section 19(5) was rejected by the Court. More amusingly, so was the submission that the wheelchair itself was a use of means of transport and so was an excluded service. The court relied rather on the Code of Practice, which states that: "Part III of the Act does not apply to any service so far as it consists of the use of any means of transport. However this does not mean that transport providers are wholly exempt from Part III. They still have a duty to avoid discrimination against disabled people and to make reasonable adjustments for them in respect of matters like timetables, booking facilities, waiting rooms etc at airports, ferry terminals and bus, coach and rail stations." The court found that Ryanair had also discriminated against Mr Ross under section 19(1)(b) and 21(1) for failing to alter a practice, policy or procedure which made it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to use the service. It held that Ryanair could and should have changed its policy and should meet the cost of providing wheelchairs for all passengers who needed them. Ryanair did not try to use any of the limited justifications in Part III of the DDA. The reasons for its policy were purely commercial. It was argued, however, that as Mr Ross could afford to hire a wheelchair he had not found it impossible or unreasonably difficult to use the service and so there was no duty on Ryanair to make reasonable adjustments under section 21. This is an interesting argument but one that was rejected by the court on the basis that it was not the intention of the Act to focus on the disabled person's means and thus their ability to provide adjustments for themselves. The duty to make reasonable adjustments rather lies with the service provider. Physical feature Mr Ross also successfully claimed that he had been discriminated against under sections 19(1)(b) and 21(2) in that a "physical feature of premises" made it impossible or unreasonably difficult for him to use the service and Ryanair failed to provide a reasonable alternative means of making the service available - namely by providing a wheelchair. The distances involved in moving from check-in to the aeroplane were accepted as being a physical feature capable of being subject to a reasonable adjustment. Finally Ryanair also discriminated against Mr Ross under Sections 19(1)(b) and 21(4) by failing to provide an auxiliary aid - a wheelchair where this would have facilitated his use of Ryanair's services. The Court awarded Mr Ross compensation of £pound;1336. This consisted of £pound;36 for the hire of a wheelchair and £pound;300 for the wheelchair that he subsequently purchased so as to avail himself of Ryanair's policy of only helping passengers at Stansted who had their own wheelchair. He was awarded a further £pound;1,000 for injury to feelings. Ryanair is appealing the decision to find it, and not Stansted, liable to the Court of Appeal. Bela Gor is the Forum's head of legal policy and information. She can be contacted on 020 7403 3020 Solutions at work Drawing on specialist skills Our series on employing and retaining disabled people examines an innovative initiative by Royal Bank of Scotland A partnership between Forum member, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, and employment consultancy, Prospects, is improving training and job opportunities for people with Asperger syndrome. Around 518,500 people in the UK have autism or Asperger syndrome. Although the disability causes social and communication difficulties, many people with autism demonstrate excellent workplace skills, including attention to detail, technical ability and a memory for facts and figures. Prospects is part of the National Autistic Society and works with adults with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (see box, below). In June 2003, Prospects contacted the diversity team at RBS. This led to a meeting where the consultancy outlined the work it does to help adults with autistic spectrum disorders to find and sustain employment. As a result of this meeting, RBS agreed to look for short-term placements (of about six weeks) that would be suitable for Prospects' clients. The group identified manufacturing as an area that could offer work opportunities. Prospects then liaised directly with managers in London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Manchester to help them understand autism and to identify potential work placements. The consultancy was then able to carefully 'match' candidates with the appropriate skills and abilities to the type of placements available. In October 2003 the first placement was agreed at the group's Devonshire Square office in London. Asaf Saleem, manager, accounts and data control, and his team welcomed Prospects client David Lovell, who was supported by Prospects employment consultant, Katie Wood. The job involved inputting orders for cheque books and paying-in books in Excel and amending account details on the system. These tasks are routine and repetitive, requiring a high level of concentration and attention to detail to maintain accuracy. Lovell was suited to this type of work, as he is able to maintain focus and concentration when carrying out routine tasks. Wood accompanied Lovell to meet his RBS supervisor, Jane Edwards, before the placement. "This gave David the chance to see what the environment was like and be introduced to a few people in the department," she explains. "He was also given the opportunity to 'try out' one of the tasks he would be doing." On day one, Lovell was welcomed by the heads of the department's different teams and was also 'paired' with a colleague, who explained tasks and was on hand throughout the placement to answer any queries. Wood conducted some disability awareness training with staff who would be working most closely with Lovell, to give them an understanding of Asperger syndrome, and also about him as an individual. Lovell comments: "The people I worked along-side for those weeks were very welcoming and contributed to the overall success of my placement." Wood supported Lovell throughout by visiting regularly, observing him work, advising him on how best to organise his work and also on interaction with his colleagues. "We met on a weekly basis with his supervisor to review how the placement was going, and to ask David to evaluate his own performance," she says. Lovell seems happy with the experience: "I have taken the opportunity and used it to its fullest advantage, and have proved myself by working hard with focus, while also learning even the more complicated tasks to the point where they have almost become second nature." Saleem says Lovell was an asset to his team: "We were delighted to have been the first office in RBS to have worked with Prospects. It was pleasing to see that David settled in well, holding down a regular job. We hope this placement will benefit him in the future." Prospects is now working with Lovell to identify suitable jobs, possibly in RBS. Woods says the placement has helped Lovell to make more informed career choices. "He was unsure about administrative work as a career, but his placement has helped him to understand what an office environment is like and to realise that he has very strong skills which suit this environment," she says. RBS has since identified further work placement opportunities in its London clearing control unit, at its Haydock coin centre and within RBS in Sheffield. For Lovell, the experience has opened new doors: "The placement with RBS has certainly given me a lot of thought about what I believe a good career could be." To contact Prospects email Prospects-London@nas.org.uk call or call 020 7704 7450. For general advice on autistic spectrum disorders, call the autism helpline on 0845 070 4004. www.rbs.co.uk. Prospects: a three-way partnership Prospects was established in 1994, in partnership with the Employers' Forum on Disability and government, as the first employment service specifically for people with autistic spectrum disorders in Europe. Prospects now has offices in London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Manchester and works with adults to: € provide training to help them prepare for work, including support during work experience placements € provide support with job seeking € provide support in the workplace to enable job retention. An important aspect of Prospects is the work done with employers to explain the nature of autistic spectrum disorders, and to provide support with any problems that might arise once an individual is in work. The Access to Work scheme covers the cost of a consultant to support the employee in the workplace. Prospects charges a modest consultation fee for one-off assessments of training. Briefing Employee networks Enabling staff to meet in networks to discuss employment and customer issues can pay dividends. Here we explore how such networks can help a company deliver its diversity policies Many members of the Forum enable their disabled employees and colleagues to come together in networks which can be very useful on a number of fronts. Organised carefully and supported at senior level, networks can foster diversity and inclusiveness, promote better communication between management and staff, help with recruitment and retention, create more efficient policies and procedures and improve customer service and products. Different networks can be set up for different purposes. Some examples are given below. Auditing Disabled employees can be asked to audit what needs to be done to ensure the built environment, including workstations and communications, is fully accessible. It is essential that such a network is supported by a commitment to act on findings and that its expertise should feed into routine refurbishment programmes, as well as advise on new build and preparing for October 2004. Such an access committee would expect to bring together a range of individuals who should be able to advise property managers and architects on cost-effective solutions to the day-to-day barriers they encounter at work and as customers. Remember it is unnecessary for such a network to have in-depth knowledge of part M of the building code but they can advise on what the building is like to use, from the perspective of the disabled individual. Championing Some networks help to promote awareness of the organisation's commitment to best practice and policies and procedures. They can road-test a new policy or drive awareness-raising projects. Representation In some organisations disabled employees come together to articulate their needs and expectations as disabled employees and act as a sounding board for senior management. Such a group may include trade union representation. Professional development Some organisations establish networks with the express purpose of enabling professional development and enhancing promotion prospects. Such groups would be expected to put a programme together which builds the self confidence of disabled employees and can connect to a network of individuals both inside and outside the organisation who can broaden horizons, challenge assumptions and provide one-to-one mentoring. Feedback In some organisations senior managers make a point once a year of meeting disabled employees over coffee to get a feel for the perspective of disabled employees on the company's performance, both as an employer and service provider. This can create better understanding on both sides and build the informal networks, which make it easier to create sustainable culture change. Sounding board A network can be set up to respond to the company's need to develop a strategic approach or action plan. So where do you start? You need to identify your objectives and be absolutely clear what the network is intended to do and how you plan to support its work. Networks can have one or more objectives; the key is that they are carefully spelled out from the beginning and backed by an annual work plan. Annual work plans are helpful in ensuring that the group continues to address business priorities in a way that brings mutual benefit to the individuals and the organisation. Issues to resolve Once you are clear on the purpose of the network ask: € What expertise do we need in this network? € Should this network be open to only disabled employees or to anyone with an interest in the issue? € Should membership bring people together from every level of the business? € Do we expect this group to act as a representative body on behalf of all disabled employees or as experts on particular issues? € Who will be responsible for monitoring its business plan? € Who is the senior manager ultimately responsible for ensuring the group has the necessary clout it requires to achieve its purpose? € How should we circulate its mandate and workplan? € What resources will the network need in order to do its work? Frequently asked questions Should the group meet outside work hours? Not if you want a group of people to feel their contribution is valued. Asking them to volunteer in their own time does not send out the right signal. Should the group have a budget? A budget signifies you value their contribution and are clear on purpose and deliverables. How do we get managers to buy in to the network? Managers need to be happy when the individual takes time off for any meetings and follow-up work. The key is communicating that the group is addressing important business objectives and ensuring the time commitment can be planned in advance. Do we pay expenses? Obviously if a group is working towards clear business objectives, travel costs etc will need to be covered, preferably from a budget which does not 'penalise' the manager who is releasing the individual. Who should chair the network? Depending on its purpose, members of the group would usually take the leadership roles. What if the group turns into an endless exercise in complaint and grievance? When any group of disabled employees first get together, it is essential for them to share their experience of working for the organisation and to discuss what has motivated them to join the group. In most organisations such an initial session may well focus more on shortcomings than achievements. This process is healthy. But managers need to be seen to listen, learn and act on the group's recommendations. If the group sees that its first proposals to improve have been heard and valued, it is much easier for the network to move into productive working. Open to questions The Forum's helpline team answers common questions and concerns related to employment and service provision for disabled people Question A deaf customer in one of our electrical stores asked for help in purchasing a home computer. She was grateful for the written information provided about each product but was disappointed that we were unable to answer her specific questions because she used sign language. Does the DDA require us to provide a sign language interpreter in these circumstances or is the provision of written material about our products enough? Answer Under the DDA service providers such as shops have a duty to anticipate the needs of disabled customers. You must ensure that your services are equally available and accessible to disabled and non-disabled customers. In some circumstances this may require the provision of 'reasonable adjust-ments', such as a sign language interpreter for disabled customers. What is 'reasonable' for a service provider to anticipate and provide, however, depends on the circumstances. In this case the product you are selling is expensive and the decision as to what best meets the customer's needs is complex. Your deaf customers should receive the same level of expert and specific guidance from your sales staff as other customers. However, sign language interpreters are both expensive and in short supply, and you are unlikely to have a great many customers every day who need one. It would not be reasonable, therefore, for you to have an interpreter on standby in every store just in case a customer needs one. You must, however, provide your service by reasonable alternative means. First, you should ask the customer how she would prefer to proceed. € It may be that all she needs is more time and a quiet, well-lit place to ask her questions. She may be able to articulate her questions and, by a combination of a hearing aid and lip reading, understand the replies. You may need to provide her with an induction loop, and it is reasonable for you to anticipate the needs of deaf customers by having such a loop in every store. € She might be willing to write out her questions and accept written replies. For many deaf people, however, English is a second language. She might feel that her English is not adequate. € If she requests an interpreter, you will need to arrange a time for her to return when one has been booked. It is your responsibility to pay for the interpreter. Whether it is reasonable for you to do so will depend on whether it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for the customer to receive the service by any other means and the size and financial resources of your company. When considering reasonable adjustments under the DDA, remember that disabled people, their families and friends form a significant market with a spending power of over £pound;50 billion. Forum helpline The Forum's information team answers thousands of queries each year on every aspect of disability. 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 Email: efd@employers-forum.co.uk Textphone: 020 7403 0040 Forum events Breakfast briefings The Forum's monthly breakfast briefings offer members and associates an opportunity to share experiences and to keep up to date. Generously hosted by Forum members, these events: € provide information about the Forum's work and the changing business approach to disability € review the latest issues and developments relating to employment and provision of services € provide an opportunity to network with other employers and hear from senior executives and disabled Associates involved in the Forum's work. The next four briefings and hosts are: 7 July 8.30-10.30am Metropolitan Police 15 September 10am-12pm London Fire and Emergency Planning 13 October 8.30-10.30am Merrill Lynch 10 November 10am-12pm Linklaters 8 December 8.30-10.30am venue to be arranged Other events 'DDA Masterclass Part II' 17 September 'DDA Masterclass Part III' 23 September 'National Event' 11 October 'Scottish Network meeting' 22 October Looking for hosts Hosting an event is an easy and cost-effective way for an organisation to demonstrate its commitment to disability, to gain best practice knowledge and expertise in disability management, to achieve senior management buy-in, and to network with other Forum members. Lisa Mayhew of Lovells told us: "Lovells was delighted to host the well-attended Managing Sickness Absence conference. The topic is one that continues to present difficulties for employers and it provided a good opportunity to dispel certain myths and offer practical solutions." During the September 2004-June 2005 programme, we will be once again searching for hosts, as well as, for the first time, full sponsors for Forum events. For details, contact Laura Courtney on 020 7403 3020