The Equality Act 2010 is non-compliance based and not prescriptive in its requirements. However, it does contain an Anticipatory Duty for service providers, with reference to Reasonable Adjustment. Anticipatory can be described as ‘happening’ or ‘performed’, and therefore, a legal obligation for continual improvement. It can be difficult for service providers to determine what is reasonable and what is not.
An Access Audit helps you to understand your obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and will form the basis of a strategic plan of action to enable you to improve accessibility, in a planned way, over time.
At Access Alba we talk to the client before we carry out an Access Audit. This is to ensure we fully understand your business requirements, the use of the premises, the environment and the service. We then carry out a physical audit and provide a concise report with recommendations for improvement. The report is tailored to consider your business needs, your budget constraints, and your desired outcomes!
An access audit will typically cover the following elements of a building and environment:
- Approach and Car Parking
- Entrances
- Receptions
- Horizontal Circulation – corridors and doors
- Vertical Circulation – Lifts and Stairs
- Toilets
- Signage and Wayfinding
- Inclusive Communication
- Means of Escape for Disabled People
As part of the audit service, we will help you to understand the term Reasonable Adjustment, we will provide you with practical assistance, and practical recommendations for improvement, based on current regulation and relevant guidance.
The Equality Act 2010, Section 3, covers all elements of service provision. This applies whether your service is chargeable or free. To help you meet the requirements of the ‘Act’ we can also offer audits of other services such as Communication Audits for policy and recruitment documents.
See Inclusive Communication and Easy Read Translation Services for more information.
