Under the Equality Act, all public spaces must be accessible to everyone equally, including those with disabilities and people with reduced mobility. According to the Act, reasonable adjustments and changes should be made to ensure disabled people are not at a disadvantage compared to others, and these adjustments should be anticipatory, meaning readily available.
The responsibility to make these considerations often falls on local authorities. These authorities are usually responsible for schools, hospitals, recreation centres, and a host of other spaces which should be accessible.
According to the Equality Act, local authorities must consider the following when designing or reviewing public spaces:
- Provisions, criteria or staff practices
- Physical features, such as building layouts and obstacles
- The provision of auxiliary aids
One fundamental area that local authorities should focus on is the accessibility of public spaces to people of reduced mobility. This can include those who use wheelchairs or scooters. The most effective way of providing secure, safe access to disabled members of the public is with the addition of disabled access ramps.
Portaramp can design and supply a range of building access ramp types, allowing local authorities to ensure everyone has equal access to vital public spaces, and meet all legislative requirements.
