Welcome Guest! The IOSH forums are a free resource to both members and non-members. Login or register to use them

Postings made by forum users are personal opinions. IOSH is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any of the information contained in forum postings. Please carefully consider any advice you receive.

Notification

Icon
Error

Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
decimomal  
#1 Posted : 18 December 2013 14:47:02(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
decimomal

I am looking for somewhere to ask a specific question on the Equality Act and Disability Access. Does anybody know of such a forum please?
johnmurray  
#2 Posted : 19 December 2013 05:50:43(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
johnmurray

There would seem to be some choice: http://www.bddf.org.uk/black_theme/equal_act.html
djupnorth  
#3 Posted : 20 December 2013 14:42:35(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
djupnorth

Contact me with your question and I will try to answer it for you (or find somebody that can). Regards. DJ
bob youel  
#4 Posted : 22 December 2013 08:08:39(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
bob youel

ask the question here and U might be supprised
firesafety101  
#5 Posted : 22 December 2013 11:52:57(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

Decimomal this is a health and safety forum. Equality Act is under the H&S umbrella therefore chances are that someone on here will have the answer. In fact I am confident we will provide many answers to your question :-) As Bob says - ask the question here.
boblewis  
#6 Posted : 22 December 2013 20:05:14(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
boblewis

Two things Access - Look at part L Building regs but remember there can be some problems of interpretation Just remember that if it is significantly more difficult for the protected person then it is likely to be discriminatory. Bob
decimomal  
#7 Posted : 23 December 2013 15:42:33(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
decimomal

Query is: Hotelier concerned about disability access. The scenario is that they do not have any bedrooms on the ground floor and access to upper floors is via a lift that will not accommodate a wheelchair. They are worried that they may fall foul of the Equality Act and are seeking advice. Would a disability access statement suffice or would they be expected to do something more ?
walker  
#8 Posted : 23 December 2013 16:02:19(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
walker

You are expected top make reasonable adjustments. If the hotel can't accomodate a wheel chair then it can't be accomodated, it's hardly reasonable to rip the place apart on the off chance. I think they ought to concentrate on other disabled persons for whom they can make reasonable adjustments. It would seem the default mental image of a disabled person is someone in a wheel chair.
firesafety101  
#9 Posted : 23 December 2013 16:41:09(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

IMO it would be reasonable to apply for funding to build a ground floor bedroom that could be accessed by wheelchair users. The cost of the build would be recouped probably within one year, the room can be rented out to non disabled as well if no wheelchair users book in. The point is the hotel must not make it worse for a wheelchair user as opposed to non wheelchair user to be accommodated. Hotels are regularly used by wheelchair users so it cannot be accepted for the hotel to ignore the needs of the wheelchair user.
Corfield35303  
#10 Posted : 24 December 2013 10:47:26(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Corfield35303

FireSafety101 wrote:
IMO it would be reasonable to apply for funding to build a ground floor bedroom that could be accessed by wheelchair users. The cost of the build would be recouped probably within one year, the room can be rented out to non disabled as well if no wheelchair users book in. The point is the hotel must not make it worse for a wheelchair user as opposed to non wheelchair user to be accommodated. Hotels are regularly used by wheelchair users so it cannot be accepted for the hotel to ignore the needs of the wheelchair user.
But isnt this what 'reasonable' is all about? A small/old/family hotel with say fifteen rooms and a small lift shaft installed in the 1970's just couldnt afford the work to put in a new lift shaft, so for some it has to be acceptable to bypass the needs of wheelchair users? Plenty of small hotels dont even have lifts, they dont all do this to be awkward, it just isnt reasonable for some of the smaller operators....
firesafety101  
#11 Posted : 24 December 2013 11:57:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
firesafety101

Do they have a written Policy? They should have, and if they do what does it say about disabled access and facilities? If I was a wheelchair user and wanted to book in to that hotel they cannot refuse on the grounds that they do not have facilities for wheelchair users. Believe me, I've looked into this and recently won a Tribunal for discrimination against a wheelchair user. The other side had a Barrister - I didn't but still won.
boblewis  
#12 Posted : 24 December 2013 20:02:22(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
boblewis

Are you really saying a 1970s lift door opening is less than 800mm? Even then a Whhelchair lift often gives space in an existing shaft.
Users browsing this topic
Guest
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.