Member Article

Something Should Be Done

One thing which bugs me when people are interviewed on television, radio or in the newspapers is the use of the expression “something should be done”. It is often used when the interviewee is aggrieved by an event or an occurrence affecting their lifestyle.

The big question, though, in my mind is “who in particular do they think should be doing the doing” and “what specifically do they think should be done”! I call it passing the buck as each and virtually every one of us has the ability to come up with ideas to solve a problem.

True, many will be impractical. I admit to occasionally having revolutionary and controversial ideas I know myself would either be difficult to implement or unacceptable in a democratic World.

Nevertheless, I’m always looking to identify ways of resolving issues affecting me personally and people I care about.

In my work “dealing with disability”, my objective is to provide a better lifestyle for people with disabilities. However, I am aggrieved premises, products and services offered by businesses aren’t as accessible as they should, and more importantly, could be.

Something should be done!

I’m sure many people agree with my sentiments, but are waiting for someone else to come up with the solution and implement it. In the meantime, moaning in private, complaining in magazines dedicated to disability and doing nothing about it is commonplace.

I’m not going to pretend it is easy and inexpensive to be totally accessible for everyone. There are varying different requirements across all disabilities, and not every business can start with a blank sheet of paper as far as their premises is concerned. Likewise, unlimited funds are rarely available to deliver everything required.

However, I feel total inactivity is unacceptable. There are many businesses which have done nothing or appear to have made no effort. What can I do about this situation apart from complain?

There is actually a lot, but some are more preferable and achievable than others. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, amended in 2005, exists to help people with disabilities. Since 1st October 2004, businesses have had an obligation to remove physical barriers preventing access to their products and services. From an earlier date, they’ve been obliged to ensure they were not offering an inferior service to disabled people than offered to others.

So, if there’s a law in place and businesses are failing in their obligations, why aren’t they being prosecuted? The law is surely ineffective if it is not being enforced. Which authority is failing us?

In actual fact, there is no authority enforcing this aspect of the DDA. The law has been set up to enable individuals with a disability, like me, to take direct action through the Small Claims Courts if we feel a business has discriminated against us.

It’s our own fault, therefore, if we are tolerating unacceptable access to premises, products and services. We should be suing everyone! Let’s be realistic, it’s not going to happen, is it? We’re not going to take legal action just because we cannot enter a shop, or go to the toilet when we’re in a pub or a restaurant, are we?

This stalemate means the net result is disabled people remain unhappy because the World is less accessible than is desirable.

For many years, I, along with many others, have urged businesses to consider the business case for being more accessible. This still applies, as 10 million plus disabled people in the UK have billions to spend. When I go out for a meal with family and friends, we will always go to an accessible restaurant. They will benefit from not only my “disabled pound”, but also from the rest of my party’s spending power.

In some parts of the World, governments are recognising the income potential from a vast global tourism market of people with special needs. They are supporting accessibility improvement initiatives, but this doesn’t appear to be the case so strongly in the UK.

Providing grants or tax incentives to businesses may not be a vote winner with a General Election on the horizon, if this had to be funded by tax increases. We’re back to a stalemate, again.

It would be hypocritical of me to end now and say “something should be done”, so I’m going to make a recommendation. Recently, while travelling around my home city, Newcastle upon Tyne, researching accessibility, I came across the entrance to a firm of solicitors. There were three steps to access the building on Newcastle Quayside.

However, there was also a door bell and a sign inviting anyone with a disability to ring for assistance. I rang the bell, and within 15 seconds, a lady came to the entrance offering assistance. A fantastic response time, don’t you agree?

Inside the building there is wheelchair access, a lift, accessible toilet, etc. Entering the building is more problematic, as it isn’t feasible to provide a removable ramp due to the width of the footpath outside. Fortunately, the premises have an alternative entrance at the rear. Under the circumstances, I think this is a reasonable adjustment.

Would you agree that this approach to inviting communication could be considered “best practice”?

My recommendation is to enforce every business to have a similar door bell. When rung, someone should respond within a reasonable period of time (not necessarily as quick as 15 seconds). Communication can then take place with the disabled person to agree how they can receive a service from the business. This would be based on the accessibility they have and the specific needs of the disabled person, which can be established during the communication. (I use the word “communication”, as this may not necessarily be verbal if, for example, the person’s disability restricts verbal communication).

I would like to see an amendment made to the DDA to make it compulsory for every business to have signage at each public or visitor entrance, with a door bell at a minimum of one of these entrances. It may be preferable for this to be some form of intercom, perhaps even with a hearing induction loop facility, but appropriate signage, a door bell and someone responding promptly would be the minimum. Unlike the rest of the DDA, I would propose this aspect of the legislation be monitored by a Government body similar to Trading Standards or the Health and Safety Executive (it could even be one of them). Fixed “on the spot” penalties, say £60, would be imposed for failure to comply.

In actual fact, the best workforce to monitor this legislation would be people with disabilities. Government plans to reduce the number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit could be achieved at the same time, by a workforce passionate about the work they are undertaking for more reasons than generating an income.

The benefit of this DDA legislation change and the policing methodology is businesses will start to think more about disability on a day to day basis. They will more seriously see the merits of making additional adjustments to provide more accessible premises, products and services. They will recognise potential commercial benefits from attracting a broader range of customers.

So, let’s set an implementation deadline of 1st October 2009 (the 5th anniversary of when more than this should have been done anyway under existing legislation). More importantly, let’s get the debate started straightaway and lobby our Members of Parliament. The Government can then look to amending the legislation when Parliament reconvenes after the summer break.

Something should be done! The “something” has been proposed. Now lets’ get on and do it!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .