Village Halls - Disability
Discrimination Act
Everyone who provides a public service
must make sure no physical features make access impossible
or unreasonably difficult.
Village halls, and all groups using them,
must ensure their premises fully accessible to everyone.
This does not simply refer to ramps, but also includes toilets,
heights of light switches and coat hooks, use of kitchens
and tea bars, hearing loops, colour differentiation in doorways
and providing lifts as well as stairs.
Village hall management committees are advised to:
- Arrange for an expert 'access audit' on their building
- Follow up with a building survey if major changes are
required
- Cost the recommendations
- Assess current and future numbers of disabled people
in their catchment area
- Review all this information and decide what action
to take - recording reasons why and decisions in the minute
book
- Get the landlord's permission where necessary
- Plan the alterations and obtain planning permission
where necessary
- Start fundraising
The Act expects premises managers to act
'reasonably' - but it is impossible to say what this means
until it is tested in the courts. However, the availability
of funds to do the work has to be taken into account. A
village hall would not be expected to bankrupt itself to
make alterations, but its managers would be expected to
have assessed the situation and taken all reasonable steps
to carry out the improvements.
Management committees should also consider
how their services can be provided to all who want to access
them. Whatever is decided, the decision must be fully minuted,
with the reasons clearly set out. This is particularly
important if the committee decides not to make alterations
recommended in an access audit.
Helena Stubbs , RAD's Village Halls Advisor,
is happy to visit Hall Management Committees and talk through
the requirements of the Act and where to look for funding.
Resources and useful contacts
Village
Hall Information Sheets, available from RAD:
No. 25 Making Village Halls Accessible
No. 32 An Introductory Guide to the Disability Discrimination
Act 1995
Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living (DCIL)
Park Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3EF
Tel: 01773 740246 e-mail: info@dcil.org.uk
Website: www.dcil.org.uk
Derbyshire County Council
County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG
Tel: 08456 058 058 Website: www.derbyshire.gov.uk
Disability Rights Commission
Helpline: 08457 622633 e-mail: enquiry@drc-gb.org
Website: www.drc-gb.org
Government Disability Website: www.disability.gov.uk
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