By having an access audit, this will enable you to:

• Assess compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and (2005), then superseded by the Equality Act 2010
• Improve the quality of service delivery.
• Put together plans that address inclusion of disabled people in a cost-effective and efficient way.

The audits will identify: what can be done for little or no cost, what requires re-allocation of budget and resource, and what requires long-term capital investment. This audit will also separate the access issues into low, medium and high priority. The service will then be in the position to prioritise spending and develop longer-term business and strategic plans.

Compliance with the DDA requires the access audits to assess:

Practice, policy or procedures –

which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled persons to make use of the service

Physical features –

which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled persons to make use of the service

Provision of auxiliary aids or service –

that enable disabled persons to make use of the service

What is included in an access audit?

If you are assessing access to your services provided by the service, in order to satisfy DDA Part III then the access audit would need to consider:

Accessibility – access to buildings

• How do disabled people get in?
• How do they move around?
• What facilities can they use?
• How do they get out?

Inclusion – access to service

• How do disabled people get to your premises?
• What activities do disabled people take part in?
• What assistance and support do they get?
• How do staff and other people treat them?

 

Communication – access to and exchange of information

• How do disabled people get to know about your service?
• What information is available at your service?
• How is their access requirement met?
• How do they communicate with staff and professionals about your services?

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