West Midland service providers are being urged to make their premises accessible to disabled people or face the prospect of claims under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
West Midland service providers are being urged to make their premises accessible to disabled people or face the prospect of claims sunder the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
Martineau Johnson commercial property partner Clive Read said risk managers needed to make changes to their premises to ensure that disabled people were treated no less favourably than others before the DDA comes into effect on 1 October 2004.
The Act applies to those with physical disabilities, including the partially-sighted and deaf .
"Companies will be in the firing line if they do not comply," said Read. He said if premises could not be adapted, then the way in which service was provided would have to be changed to accommodate disabled customers.
Read warned companies not to rely on health and safety considerations as a reason for not assessing how adaptations to service could be made.
