The new law to help disabled people to have proper access to buildings is no problem to businesses - it's an opportunity, says DAVID ANDREWS, chief executive of the York-based Yorkshire Tourist Board.

WE MAY be languishing in the warmth of the English summer, with thoughts of Autumn 2004 the farthest thing from our minds, but for thousands of businesses across North Yorkshire, October 2004 marks a deadline that many do not look forward to.

That month will see the third phase of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 brought into force. Organisations providing services to the public will be required by law to ensure services are reasonably accessible to people with a disability.

Discrimination at any level is not something I can condone and when that discrimination is against a significant consumer market with enviable spending power, it is not just criminal, it is downright bad business practice.

Focusing on the needs of disabled people can provide great opportunities for financial gain. In this country alone, 11.7 million people have some degree of disability. That is 20 per cent of the adult population, and they have more than £40 billion to spend annually. That is a lot of business to turn away.

Unbelievable though it may seem, it was not until December 1996 that it became unlawful to refuse to serve a disabled person, offer a lower standard of service or provide a service on worse terms to a disabled person because of their disability. We are supposed to be a civilised country and yet we were quite at liberty to turn away disabled people simply out of pure dislike or ignorance.

Now with this third phase of the Act, providers are being asked to make reasonable adjustments in relation to the physical features of their premises.

But access is not only about making sure that people can get into and about your building. It is about the whole experience from marketing and advertising to check out. It is about making it easier for people and making them comfortable when they are with you.

Imagine you are hearing impaired, would you really feel comfortable sleeping in a bedroom where you cannot hear a fire alarm warning? Especially when there are portable vibrating alarms available cheaply? Induction couplers for public telephones, a copy of the menu in large print, paper and pencils on the reception desk for guests with hearing difficulties, bedrooms where working dogs are allowed, contrasting decor to make doors and windows stand out, well-lit steps, coloured glassware, the list is endless.

Even web sites and literature can be made easier to read. But of course the most important element in all of this is our own people, the staff. Well-trained and aware staff who recognise disabled people for what they are, valuable customers to be treated accordingly. A wheelchair, hearing aid or seeing eye dog does not make a person stupid nor does it make them an object of pity.

There is a great big high spending and very loyal market out there and if you do not take advantage of it, your competitors will.

Updated: 09:12 Tuesday, July 22, 2003