British business missing out due to confusion about disabled customers access needs

British business missing out due to confusion about disabled customers access needs Business are failing to capture the £40bn disability market because they are confused about their access requirements, according to new research from the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), as new legal guidance on disabled people's rights of access to goods and services is launched today (Tuesday). Three out of four small to medium-sized businesses questioned thought it was vital that their premises were accessible to disabled people - yet only one in three had made access improvements. Businesses also grossly underestimated the spending power of disabled people in Britain, with more than half believing disabled people's total annual spending to be below its true figure of more than £40bn. The new 'Code of Practice on Disabled People's Rights of Access' launched today outlines the third and final set of access obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, requiring those providing goods and services to make 'reasonable adjustments' to access barriers on their premises by October 2004. DRC Chair, Bert Massie, said: "Accessible business is good business. The DRC's new guidelines provide practical guidance and information on the requirements to make services accessible to disabled people. Millions of businesses and services are affected and many are concerned about the costs of making changes. They need to know that reasonable adjustments are all that is required, which, in most cases, will be low-cost changes designed to maximise accessibility for, and custom from, disabled people. cont'd... British business missing out due to confusion/p.2 "Over half the businesses questioned wanted more information about the financial and practical implications of the new guidelines. We have therefore produced a range of useful publications for business and disabled people." "As well as helping businesses make changes, DRC publications are available to help disabled people who believe they are being denied access to any business or service because of their disability." Around two-thirds of businesses overestimate the number of disabled people in Britain who use wheelchairs - in fact fewer than 5% of disabled people in Britain use wheelchairs. Consequently ramps are the improvements most commonly made, with very few businesses improving access for people with other disabilities such as sight or hearing impairments. Despite one in ten businesses stating that they would prefer not to have to make their premises accessible for disabled people, eight out of ten predicted a positive impact on long-term profits from improving access for disabled people. Ends Contact Jon Cope on 020 7407 3313 for interviews and case studies Notes to editors 1. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is an independent body set up by an Act of Parliament in April 2000 to enforce the rights of disabled people 2. A full summary of the survey results are available from Jon Cope on 020 7407 3313 3. For free copies of the Practical Guide or summary booklets, or for further information about the Code, contact the DRC helpline on 08457 622 633 or visit www.drc-gb.org. The full Code of Practice is online at www.drc-gb.org, or available in print, braille or audio cassette from The Stationery Office price £13.95 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/02/19/20020219BIT01650/bit0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/02/19/20020219BIT01650/bit0001.pdf