The third and final phase of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will come into force in October 2004, bringing with it far reaching implications for all service providers. The aim of the 1995 Act is to achieve equality between the disabled and able-bodied and it imposes a basic duty not to treat disabled people less favourably than others. From 2004 service providers will be under an additional duty to provide an equal service to all customers, whatever their disability. This will mean making alterations and improvements to premises, to ensure that the disabled user is not at a disadvantage.
Service providers are anyone who provide a service or supply of goods to the public.
This includes for example retail shops, leisure facilities, advisory clinics and the offices of business consultants, accountants and lawyers. It is important to note that the duty rests on the service provider, not the property owner. Therefore whether you are a tenant or owner of the freehold, if you are the one providing the service, then you are the one responsible for making the alterations. In practice this will mean either removing physical features such as steps and replacing them with a ramp, or installing an alternative form of access to the premises. If neither of these options were possible then consideration should be given to alternative ways of providing the service, for example home visits or providing the service on-line.