Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Disability Unit has made an assessment of the adequacy of current accessibility requirements for local businesses.

We are fully committed to supporting disabled people in the UK through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society.

Businesses are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) protects people from being discriminated against or harassed because of a disability in the provision of services. The Act also requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve access to premises/buildings, provide auxiliary aids and services (such as providing information in an accessible format, provide induction loop for customers with hearing aids, special computer software or additional staff support when required), and allowing access to guide or assistance dogs, so that disabled customers have the same right to goods and services and are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled customers.

This reasonable adjustment duty is an anticipatory duty. This means that those who provide goods, facilities and services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require.

The Disability Unit has not made a comprehensive assessment of the adequacy of current accessibility requirements for local businesses. However, we continue to engage closely with stakeholders to build and share the evidence base on the issues affecting disabled people.