The Disability Discrimination Act

The requirements of the Act now
The requirements of the Act in 2004
Help is available

In many regards the Disability Discrimination Act put into law what we as Christians believe about disabled people, namely that they should be respected and treated as well as anybody else. This sounds easy but it is all too easy to fall into the trap of assuming that all we need to do is provide a ramp, disabled toilet and loop system. These are the things that most able bodied people notice and treasurers shudder at the thought of - but what about the disabled people themselves, what do they notice?

Perhaps the first question to ask is who are the disabled people? Disability can be obvious - it is easy to spot a wheel chair user or someone who is blind. On the other hand how would you know if someone has dyslexia? From a church's point of view a person with a disability is anyone who would find it unusually difficult to join in our activities or use our facilities.

The real experts in this field are the people who have a disability, a first step is always to talk to them and gain their views. Be aware however, that significant numbers of disabled people may not be part of your worshipping community or use your premises simply because of the difficulties they face, or the fact that your building appears to them to be unwelcoming. The people you most need to hear from, therefore, may never get to your Church!

You therefore need to look wider and use your imagination. There are various resources available that will help with an audit of your facilities and activities - see the "help is available" section below.

The Disability discrimination Act then, is a challenge to look at ourselves and ask if we are living up to a high standard set by Jesus who refused to ignore or look down on anyone.
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The Requirements of the Act now
According to the Act churches come under the heading of Service Providers. This means there were already expected to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in the way that we treat them. By 2004 you will have to "consider making reasonable adjustments to the physical features of [your] premises to overcome physical barriers to access." (DLE9 published by the Department for Education and Employment)

At present therefore we should be offering to help to anybody finding it difficult to gain access to the church building and to take part in worship or any other activity that you provide. You should be considering the needs any disabled person whether they are wheelchair users, those with sight or hearing impairment or those with learning difficulties.
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The requirements of the Act in 2004
By 2004 you will need to have considered physical obstructions which should be removed.

We need to think about all aspects of our buildings and not just the obvious wheelchair ramp, disabled toilet and loop system. Clear lighting, for example, will make a considerable difference to many with a either a sight or hearing impediment. When redecorating, the choice of colours can make a significant difference to those with a visual impairment; a clear differentiation between a wall and door frame can make entrances and exits more obvious, clear and bold signs will enable some to go to the toilet without the embarrassment of asking for directions.

Some things can be considered straightaway without any real cost implications: mats and carpets should be removed if they provided the danger of tripping to somebody who has difficulty walking, furniture can be moved to allow easier wheelchair access.

Don't forget that the real experts in this field are the people who themselves have a disability - search them out and listen to them!

The fact that the act requires only requires "consideration" of our buildings should not lead to complacency. This "consideration" will need to be active and more than a mere agenda item for the church council. You would need to have an action plan and be able to demonstrate that you are implementing it. The plan should show how, by 2004, you can reasonably expect to have achieved an environment which is friendly to people with disability. You should, for example, allow enough time for any necessary permission to be obtained and funds to be raised. If significant problems do arise you should keep clear records of your attempts to resolve them, so, for example, if permission is refused or grant applications don't succeed keep a record of all correspondence and then revise your action plan accordingly.
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Help is available!
To find out more about the Act itself visit DfEE website.
Through The Roof is an organisation set up to help churches relate to disabled people. They provide an introduction to the Disability Discrimination Act in so far as it affects churches and a set of really useful Roofbreaker guides which provide "straightforward advice on how to make your church welcoming to disabled people".
The Evangelical Alliance Disability Network has a pretty comprehensive list of links an all aspects of disability which will be of interest whether evangelical or not!
Web Links - Disability
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