18 November 2004 - Businesses wake up to accessibility
Maria Eagle Minister for Disabled People today awarded organisations from across the country who excel in providing access for their disabled customers and urged others to make sure they do the same.
The Minister for Disabled People congratulated the five small organisations who have excelled in their innovative and committed approach to their customers. Maria Eagle said:
“The Access All Areas awards aim to champion small businesses for their innovation and commitment to improve access for disabled customers. This year’s winners have fought strong competition and introduced creative solutions to accessibility. They have shown that a little bit of common sense, creativity and investment can go a long way, no matter what the size of the organisation.
‘’I hope that others will learn from their example. Businesses need to wake up to the reality that 10 million disabled people in Britain have a right to access. In addition, with their collective spending power of £50 billion, it makes complete business sense to open up to disabled customers.
‘’Last month, we introduced changes in the law which mean that service providers must take reasonable steps to tackle physical barriers to disabled people accessing their services. It’s time to give disabled people the same access as everyone else’’.
Run by the Department for Work and Pensions, the Access all Areas awards give service providers with under 100 employees the chance to demonstrate how they have made changes to their business to enable disabled people to use their services.
Notes for editors
- Digital pictures of winners at the award ceremony are available on request.
- Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) anyone who provides a service to the public has a duty to make reasonable adjustments in order to make their services more accessible to disabled people. These duties were extended on 1st October to require service providers to take reasonable steps to tackle physical features of their premises which act as barriers to their services. The employment provisions of the DDA were simultaneously extended in a number of areas and now also cover employers with fewer than 15 employees.
- The awards ceremony was held at Whitechapel Gallery in London, and is sponsored by Vodafone.
- Award winners include the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum in Wiltshire (Entertainment and Leisure), Janet Maitland Hair Excellence in Durham (Health, Beauty and Hairdressing), fish and chip shop D. Fecci & Sons, in Tenby, Pembrokeshire (Hotels, Bars, Pubs and Eating Establishments) and Holton Lee in Poole, Dorset (Other Public Bodies, Charity and Voluntary Organisations). The Fold House Caravan Park in Pilling, Lancashire was runner up in the Hotels, Bars, Pubs and Eating Establishments category. More information on award winners is available on request.
- A Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) information pack and a copy of the Act Now video explain the implications of the DDA for businesses. It can be obtained from the address below;
Disability Discrimination Act Info Pack, PO Box 12, Nottingham, NG7 2GB
Tel: 0845 124 9841, Text phone: 1 8001 0845 124 9841, Fax: 0115 942 2335
Press office: 020 7238 0866
Out of hours: 07659 108 883
Public enquiries: 020 7712 2171
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk / www.disability.gov.uk