Breaking down barriers

11:24am Thursday 16th October 2003

FROM October 2004 the government's Disability Discrimination Act comes fully into force.

New laws will mean service providers of all types will have to totally change the way they work in relation to people with a disability. RACHEL SHARP reports.

LAST month a woman telephoned the offices of the Times to say she had been discriminated against while trying to have lunch out at a west London restaurant.

The lady in question was deaf and had her assistance dog with her – but was told that she could not eat in the restaurant with her dog as it was against health and safety regulations. The woman left the restaurant, dreadfully embarrassed and unsure about her rights as a disabled customer.

These days many of us like to think our modern society is open and caring enough to treat people with disabilities in the same way as an able bodied person.

But the case outlined above is just one of many hundreds of incidents of people being treated differently because of a disability.

However, all is soon set to change. From October 2004, service providers, including restaurants, are going to have to be a lot more aware of the rights of disabled people when the final stage of the Disability Discrimination Act comes into force.

The act states that all service providers will need to make sure that any physical barrier which makes it "unreasonably difficult" or "impossible" for a disabled person to access their service is removed.

It further states that any disabled person who believes they are not able to access a service due to a physical barrier will have recourse to the law.

The Disability Rights Commission, appointed by the government in 2000, has dealt with more than 78,000 calls.

Simon Harris is the disability discrimination officer at DASH (Disablement Association of Hillingdon).

The charity, which is based at the Wood End Centre, Judge Heath Lane, Hayes, works to encourage service providers to fulfil their obligations under the new act.

Mr Harris, who is himself blind, told the Times: "For many years now there has been anti-discrimination in relation to race and gender but nothing to outlaw discrimination against disabled people.

"Only legislation introducing rights for disabled people would bring about necessary changes and create a barrier-free environment, allowing all disabled people to participate fully in society."

He added: "People are going to have to be seen to be providing the same level of service to disabled people as they would for people who are not disabled.

"It is quite a complicated piece of legislation and is about so much more than, for example, ramp access in buildings."

For further details call the Disability Rights Commission on 08457 622633 or visit www.openforall.org