Building consultant MELANIE SMITH of Carter Jonas, of York, a Fellow

of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, answers RICS questions about the effects of the Disability Discrimination Act

I keep hearing about the Disability Discrimination Act. How will this affect my business?

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was published in 1995 but has been coming into force in parts. The last part, which can require structural alterations, will be in effect as of October 2004. Current requirements of the DDA are that if a service is being offered, such as a business offers its customers, then this must not be discriminatory against disabled people. Employment laws regarding disability are also effective now.

What happens in 2004?

In 2004, any structural part of the building which results in access to that service being made difficult or impossible for a disabled person should be altered to avoid that discrimination.

In order for properties to meet the deadline date, it would be sensible to start planning any alterations now.

How will I know what needs to be done?

There are a number of issues for businesses to consider. In the first instance, it may be that the office manager or a similar person can consider the property using a checklist of the more obvious points. Or a regional manager can determine the most pressing needs of the properties in his area. Remember, there are more disabilities covered by this legislation than the obvious ones of wheelchair use. They include hearing and visual disorders, manual dexterity and mobility problems, learning, understanding and memory impairments. Although there are many unusual disabilities, if businesses consider and arrange for the most common, then they will be going a long way towards meeting the needs of the majority of their customers and protecting themselves against accusation.

We don't get many disabled visitors. Do we have to do this work?

The number of disabled customers and visitors may not be large, but that makes no difference.

It is likely that many staff are already helping disabled customers as a matter of course. For instance, speaking more clearly or writing instructions down for hearing impaired people, and transporting equipment to vehicles for those who could not manage this.

An initial checklist would include the following points:

lCar parking and access to the entrance

lEntrance to the building particularly for people with mobility, audio or visual problems

lReception areas particularly for people with mobility, audio or visual problems

lThe provision of the service to people with different types of disability.

In general terms, businesses normally need to provide level access, doors of sufficient width, car parking spaces and, possibly, accessible WC facilities. The particular requirements very much depend on the physical aspect of the particular buildings, the location and other factors, which access auditors would look at during a detailed inspection.

What should I do next?

The first step is to locate a suitable, qualified and experienced access auditor to make those initial assessments of your business.

Updated: 08:39 Tuesday, October 22, 2002