Two-thirds of pubs now meet DDA requirements

Licensees are becoming increasingly aware of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) with a growing number reporting they have now made changes to...

Licensees are becoming increasingly aware of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) with a growing number reporting they have now made changes to their pubs.

Two-thirds of tenanted pubs believe they now comply with the new disabled access rules, which came in on October 1 and require all businesses to make "reasonable adjustments" to their premises.

According to a study from Insight Out, a new research tool launched by Brahm, 49 per cent of licensees claim they already meet the regulations, while 15 per cent have made recent changes, spending an average of £1,800.

Half of those had added a slope or introduced disabled toilet facilities, although the research showed there was still little awareness of disabilities, such as sight impairment. None of the 200 pubs questioned were found to have introduced Braille menus or price lists, and none had lowered the bar for wheelchair users.

Carl Brunning, founder of Disability Matters - which advises organisations looking to comply with the DDA - said: "It is encouraging to see that so many publicans have understood the importance of this act and have taken steps to meet the needs of customers with disabilities.

"It is alarming that a third have not made any adaptations at all. There is still a significant proportion of publicans who do not appreciate the importance of providing a suitable environment for customers."

Gordon Jackson of the Horseshoe at Sywell, near Northampton, said he had factored in a number of measures at the pub during general building work. "We have put in disabled toilets and a slope in the garden to move the pub towards compliance," he said.

Roger Jackson, who runs the Anglesey Arms at Halnaker in West Sussex, said: "We have thought about it a lot and we've freed up our front entrance, which was previously bolted. It is much flatter and easier for people with wheelchairs to come into than our side entrance."

But Kim Morrice, who runs the Bull in Gosmore, near Hitchin - a listed building - said she was waiting for the law to be further clarified before taking action.

"We've had builders here telling us that we need a slope up to our entrance and to widen our doors, but we're still not sure what we need to do," she said.

"We already have a number of customers who use wheelchairs and we don't have any problems."

DDA compliance among pubs