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21.11.05 
CHURCHES MUST OPEN THEIR DOORS TO DISABLED PEOPLE

Churches across the UK will be legally required to tackle physical barriers to disabled people, when new duties come into force next month.

The new regulations come under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA), which obliges all service providers – shops, pubs as well as churches - to take reasonable steps to facilitate equal access to all goods and services.

David Driver, Legal Director of Configure, UK’s leading commercial disability access consultancy says: “Many disabled churchgoers may still find Sunday mornings a struggle. Being faced with uneven stone steps if you have mobility problems, or small print on a notice sheet if you have visual impairment have a significant impact on access. Objections on the basis that a place of worship has listed status or that no funds have been allocated are unlikely to be a defence to a claim for discrimination under the DDA.”

The DDA is different from much statutory legislation in that it is enforced through civil proceedings brought by disabled people who have experienced the discrimination. Key test cases are currently progressing through the system and will be determined over the coming months, with the judgements setting important precedents for all service providers, including places of worship.

A priority for all places of worship should be to produce an Access Plan – a publicly available document that identifies and acknowledges any access issues in the building. The Access Plan should identify any management procedures that will be adopted to overcome physical barriers, in addition to listing what has been and will be undertaken in terms of physical works to the building. Configure has been involved in access auditing and producing access plans for over 100 churches including two cathedrals.

The Access Plans for places of worship identify areas where access can be dramatically improved for very little cost. For instance, the simple application of handrails in standard WCs, referred to as Ambulant Disabled WCs provision, increases access for a huge number of people, as less than 5% of wheel chair users are unable to leave their chairs independently.

Yet only three per cent of disabled people are wheelchair users and the other 97% need considering too. Ensuring that service sheets are available in large print with good colour contrasts is a simple adjustment to make, as is producing audio guides for visitors with visual impairments. Installing a hearing induction loop assists members of the congregation using hearing aids.

Perhaps the most effective first step for a church to take is to enrol its staff on disability equality training. A recent survey by the Disability Rights Commission showed that 41 per cent of disabled people valued a positive attitude above all else. Configure has developed several training programmes and has so far trained over 65,000 members of staff – working in high street shops, hotels and banks. It’s waiting for its first vicar to enrol!

David Driver offers this advice: “The key is not to ignore the Act but equally not to panic. Be aware of the evolving legislation, carry out an access audit, put in place an action plan and look out for ‘easy wins’ as well as longer-term changes. Remember that as many as 10 million people in the UK have a disability, and that there is a moral as well as a legal imperative to deliver access equality for all.”