Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

1 October 2004 saw a big change in how we work and the whole concept of the working environment also changed greatly.  The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) caused concern and confusion within many organisations. The failure to make reasonable adjustments within the office may mean that you are discriminating against disabled people and this can lead to legal action.

But what does the term 'reasonable adjustment' mean?

The act in October 2004 was in fact the final piece of the DDA jigsaw. As far back as December 1996 the UK DDA came into effect. There are many sections to the DDA but the most common affecting commercial environments are:

Part II - Preventing discrimination against disabled employees by allowing them to carry out their work without any substantial disadvantages.

Part III - To ensure disabled employees have equal access to products & services.

The DDA has not been designed to close down companies or put them out of business. It is a requirement for employers to consider, and perhaps encourage, employees that have a disability in the work place.

With an estimated buying power of 40-50 billion pounds, disabled people are a significant consumer and customer market. The aim of the DDA is to make services accessible, whilst ensuring staff with disabilities have the ability to carry out their work effectively.

Discrimination against disabled people is illegal and not only runs the risk of litigation but also could possibly damage employee & customer confidence & trust. Making moves to improve accessibility can be commercially beneficial.

Some of this information may seem quite daunting, but with the correct knowledge & experience it's not such a difficult task to comply with.

We have vast experience in projects that need to comply with DDA regulations, providing practical and cost effective solutions to ensure they are met.