By now, security and facilities managers should be coming to terms with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). First introduced on 2 December 1996, the Act is being phased in over an eight-year period. As such, the legislation perhaps hasn’t been granted the attention it merits.
Designed to give disabled people new rights when it comes to employment and access to goods, facilities and services, the DDA will be fully enforced come 2004, and its myriad ramifications must be borne in mind when considering any future security upgrades that affect a building’s physical features.
So what are the main points of the DDA? The Act states that employers of 20 or more people have certain duties to ensure that disabled people are not discriminated against. One of those duties is to make certain that the disabled are not treated less favourably than others for any reason relating to their disability (unless it can be justified). The Act stresses that the duty of ‘reasonable’ adjustment applies where any physical feature of the premises occupied by a given employer – or, indeed, any arrangements made by or on behalf of the employer – causes a substantial disadvantage to a disabled person when compared with someone who is able-bodied.
In these situations, the employer has to take ‘such steps as is reasonable’ to prevent any disadvantage. In other words, the employer has to make a ‘reasonable adjustment’.
This clearly highlights one of the problems with the DDA, in that it’s quite vague and non-specific about what creates discrimination – and in terms of what steps the security manager would need to take in order to avoid it.
Disability and building features
Before we go any further, it makes sense to briefly define disability and physical features as they are described in the DDA.
Disability is ‘a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal, day-to-day activities’.
Under the terms of the DDA, a ‘physical feature’ will include anything arising from the design or construction of a building or from an approach to exit – or enter – that building. Physical features will also include fixtures, fittings, equipment and materials in – or on – the premises, whether they be temporary or permanent.
Quite clearly, most security installations will be affected under the DDA’s definition of physical features. Managers must therefore give due consideration to the Act when specifying any future system upgrades, thus avoiding the potential and unnecessary removal or adjustment of those features when it’s fully enforced in 2004.
In addition, it’s worth noting that the ‘duty of care’ is the responsibility of the employer who occupies the building, and not that of the building designers. This is because the DDA relates to access to employment and services, as opposed to the building itself.
One would hope that, while not legally required to respond to the DDA, designers will anticipate its requirements – presuming that building users will fit the definition of disabled laid down in its terms and conditions, and construct their designs accordingly.
What is a ‘reasonable adjustment’?
A ‘reasonable adjustment’ depends on several qualifying factors. These include:
Doorways and signage
If you’re thinking of upgrading your company’s security installations at some point in the near future, a useful guide entitled ‘Designing For Accessibility’ is available from the Centre for Accessible Environments. There are a few areas that security managers will need to be thinking about, most notably the key access routes into and around the building where disabled employees might require access.
Automatic doors are helpful to disabled users, providing automatic entry. However, substantially glazed entrances should bear clear markings for both safety and visibility.
Large revolving doors designed to accommodate supermarket trolleys, pushchairs and wheelchairs move automatically at a speed determined by the slowest person using them. These are ideal for the entranceways of large buildings, although some disabled people (particularly those with sight impairments) may not have the confidence to use them.
Ultimately, wheelchair users need enough room to manoeuvre. The recommended door/entrance width to allow comfortable wheelchair access is 80 cm, although 75 cm is allowed for internal doors – as stated in Part M of the Building Regulations (1992).
Clear signage is an obvious adjustment to make. Signs can provide reassurance as well as information, and should be obvious to all. Sans serif fonts and a mixture of upper and lower case characters are recommended, so too the use of colour and pictograms. An audible or Braille option is useful when trying to account for the partially-sighted.
Access control and the disabled
There are two main areas to consider here: the system that authorises access (eg card readers and PIN pads) and the system that controls access (doors and turnstiles). Wherever possible, proximity card readers should be used to provide greater convenience for all. When positioning card readers it’s worth thinking about both able-bodied users and those in wheelchairs. Height will be crucial. In addition, readers that offer visual and audible indications to the user provide assistance for the hard of hearing and the visually-impaired.
Where turnstiles are installed at the reception of a building to ensure that only authorised users can gain entry, optical turnstiles are probably the best type to go for. They offer a similar level of security to traditional tripod turnstiles, but infrared beams are used to control entry as opposed to a barrier. Optical turnstiles will normally have both visual and audible indicators.
Keypads and timings
Keypads for enabling and disabling alarm systems should be carefully positioned to allow use by all, and it’s also worth thinking about Braille keys and audible feedbacks for the user.
With all types of security system the user is given a certain time frame to react (to a door opening, or an alarm being set, for instance). It’s obviously necessary to ensure that these times are sufficient for both able-bodied and disabled staff and visitors alike. Ultimately, different systems designed to cater for both the disabled and able-bodied may be possible if adequate funding is available.
Fire safety issues
Detailed information on the means of escape for disabled persons can be found in Part 8 of ‘BS 5588: Fire and precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings’. This looks at the concepts of horizontal and vertical escape, proposing that disabled people evacuate themselves horizontally through the building to a fire-protected refuge space on – or near – the fire escape.
The DDA is only applied to employers when an individual disabled person applies for a job, is employed or it becomes apparent that an existing employee requires some form of accommodation under the terms of the Act.
However, any major building works that may be affected should take the regulations into account – even if the Act is not relevant to your company at the time of the works. Future proofing is all-important.
To this end, commissioning an access audit is a sound investment. These audits can be arranged through the Centre for Accessible Environments. Alternatively, it’s worth contacting your local authority.
Michael Bystram is marketing manager at Integrated Design Ltd
Enjoy the latest fire and security news, updates and expert opinions sent straight to your inbox with IFSEC Insider's essential weekly newsletters. Subscribe today to make sure you're never left behind by the fast-evolving industry landscape.
Sign up now!
