Disability Legislation and RecommendationsThe Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions (DETR) is committed to achieving, wherever possible, a fully accessible transport system within a barrier-free environment promoting personal mobility. Legal changes are now coming forward to enable these goals to be achieved.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
The Disability Discrimination Act, which was passed on the 8th November 1995, imposes a range of new duties on employers and service providers to ensure that they do not discriminate against disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act introduces, over a period of time, new laws and measures aimed at ending the discrimination that many people face. The Act gives disabled people new rights in the areas of:
- Employment
- Access to goods and services
- Buying or renting land or property
Further aspects of the Act require schools, colleges and universities to provide information for disabled people.
The National Disability Council was established as part of the legislation to advise the Government on discrimination against disabled people. In addition the Act allows the Government to set minimum standards so that disabled people can use public transport easily. The Act covers accessibility to taxis, trams, trains and buses.
For example, the Act enables legislation to be made to require all new taxis and buses to be accessible to disabled people, including those who need to travel in a wheelchair and to set a timescale when all such vehicles will be wheelchair accessible. The regulations on trains and buses are intended to meet the needs of a range of people with disabilities, including wheelchair users and those for whom steep steps and high floors are a problem.
Because of the complexity of technical requirements and vehicle design it will take many years before all public transport is fully accessible. However, it is hoped that each phase will lead to higher standards of provision for a large group of people.
Literature and Fact Sheets about the Disability Discrimination Act are available from the DDA Helpline on the following numbers (all calls charged at local BT rates).
Tel: 08457 622633
Fax: 08457 622611
Textphone: 08457 622644
DPTAC recommendations
The Disabled Person Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) had published two reports setting out specifications and practical advice for design features on buses which would help mobility impaired passengers to identify their bus and to board, travel and alight more easily, quickly and safely. This includes a maximum height for entrance steps, clear destination display boards, brightly coloured non-slip handrails, bell pushes within easy reach and non-slip floors.
The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee also set down guidelines for advice to taxi drivers and licensing officers to enable them to meet the needs of disabled passengers. This advice includes positioning of wheelchairs and the use of swivel seats and guidelines for the establishment of taxicard schemes. Many of these features not only improve travel for the mobility impaired but also help all other passengers, thereby making bus and taxi travel more attractive and reducing delays and passenger accidents for all users.
DPTAC can be contacted at:
Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
Great Minister House
Zone 1/14
76 Marsham Street
LONDON SW1P 4DR
Tel: 020 7944 3632
Fax: 020 7944 6998
Minicom: 020 7944 3277 GTN Code: 3533
Email: dptac@dtlr.gov.uk
Website: www.dtlr.gov.uk
