Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans the Government has to remove the Equality Act 2010 exemption on manufactured goods to ensure that products must be accessible for disabled people.

The protections of the Equality Act 2010 do not extend to manufacturing, so there is no exemption to remove. The Act’s protections, including for disability, are extensive. Service providers have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments, including ensuring their facilities and products are accessible to disabled people who wish to use them. What is reasonable will depend on the specific circumstances of the case and will be determined by such factors as practicality, cost and the extent to which people with disabilities are likely to want to use the service.