The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)

What is an Access Audit?

An Access Audit is an examination of a building; its facilities and services, against pre-determined criteria to assess its ease of use by disabled people. Remember that compliancy with the Act is not merely providing a ramp for access; it includes the way in which you provide your service as a whole. The reasons for carrying out an Access Audit are to meet the legislative requirements of the DDA and improve access. This in turn will increase your custom and turnover.

By arranging an Access Audit of your business and receiving a full Access Report, you will be able to show, for the purposes of the DDA, that you have made the first steps to complying with the Act. An Access Audit will identify the main problem areas, while taking in to consideration the reasonableness of adjustment.

Arranging to have an Access Audit completed will establish what action is actually needed. This will take the form of an initial consultation with you to determine your business needs followed by a detailed inspection of the premises. A full Access Audit will be broken down into sections firstly looking at the approach to your building/establishment. The auditor would then investigate the areas used by members of the public as well as those used by staff. The priority is to assess the areas which all staff /members of the public would need to access in order to carry out the activities necessary to your business. The way in which you provide your services will also be assessed and recommendations may be given for improvements or adjustments.

A written Access Report will then be produced. This Report will detail ways in which non-compliance exists and will recommend a course of action. Priorities will be given to work recommended. Some items may need to be done immediately. Other actions could be added to a maintenance programme or included in a feasibility study. Equipped with an Access Report, you will be in a better position to deal with tradesmen: you will have an understanding of exactly what is required.

The DDA has often become a major headache for many businesses. It is the job of an Access Auditor to help remove those headaches and keep you and your business on the right side of the law.

Next: What else should you take in to account?