Disability access regulations for your business premises
What all businesses need to know about wheelchair and disability access regulations for their business premises in the UK.
According to the Equality Act 2010, you are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.
Regulations across the UK had been introduced before the Equality Act 2010 to stop any discrimination against the disabled and the physically impaired. Since the Disability discrimination act of 1995 many regulations were put in place to ensure that wheelchair users can access all public buildings in the same way as an able bodied person.
Since 1999 all UK businesses have been told that they have to make the necessary changes to their buildings to ensure that wheelchair uses can access them without difficulty.
What changes do you have to make?
The changes needed are dependent upon the design of your building and the amount of disruption it will cause to install ramps and access doors. In the UK all new public buildings must have wheelchair access that is in line with the regulations.
What are the consequences of not having the proper access?
Owners of buildings can be fined and could have legal action brought against them if they fail to make the necessary changes to their property. As a business owner it is in your best interest to ensure that there is proper access to your business for everybody.
Access ramps, automatic doors and possible toilet facilities are all the things that you need to check.
The regulations say;
If you fail to comply with these regulations you can be fined. To ensure that you don’t fall onto the wrong side of these regulations it is best to hire a specialist who knows the exact measurements and rules.
The specialist that you choose will already work within the laws regarding disability access, and their products will already be manufactured to the correct standards. They will ensure that the installation of ramps, handrails and doors is within the legal parameters so you have one less thing to worry about.
If you are unsure who you could ask, why not find a local company who specialise in one aspect of the change, say the automatic door, and then ask them who they would recommend for the other parts, as usually they will have a partner company that they trust.
Here at Crucial Engineering we are committed to providing solutions that adhere to the Equality act 2010. We do a number of projects where we need to automate existing manual doors to gain access into and around buildings without people in wheelchairs being restricted by manual doors.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can help you, or if you have any questions we would be happy to answer them for you. Please call us on 03451 930 420, or leave us your details here and we will call you back.
How to make your property disability friendly.
Here we would like to give you some ideas of how you can make your property disability friendly. We want to help make it accessible and safe for friends and family members who are disabled. Crucial Engineering can offer you some suggestions on how to modify your home to enhance the daily quality of life for a disabled person that you care about.
5 tips to make access to your property disability friendly?
If you or someone you love is disabled you will know the daily struggles to do the tasks that we all take for granted being able bodied. Here we want to offer you 4 tips to make access to your property disability friendly.
How much does it cost to make a property disability friendly?
As with any home improvements and building works, cost depends on the general state of your property when you start. It depends on whether you just need the odd changes, or you need a full house renovation.
First of all you will need to check these main points to ensure that the property is accessible;
What do you need to do to make a doorway accessible to disabled homeowners or visitors?
Tip 1 – Install a ramp
If there are stairs at the moment then you will absolutely need a ramp and railings on both sides. A ramp and railings will help get access up to the entry point to the building.
Tip 2 – Remove steps
To allow a wheelchair to get in every room unobstructed, you will need to remove any door steps, and make sure that all the flooring is even.
Tip 3 – Widen the door frames
It’s important to make sure that a wheelchair can easily fit through every door in your property. Most wheelchairs are 635 mm wide, and therefore for comfortable access doors should be 900 mm wide. If the current door is too narrow, you will need to make a mild renovation. Sometimes, removing the door frames is enough. If not, you’ll need to call an expert.
Tip 4 – Make the door automatic
To allow homeowners to have their independence an automatic door will be perfect. The door can be opened and closed automatically so they can in the house safely and are secure once they are inside.
Tip 5 – Put a lower peep hole.
To be able to look through the peep hole when someone rings the doorbell, it would be a good idea to place it on eye-level of a person in a wheelchair.
How can we help?
Here at Crucial Engineering we are committed to providing solutions that adhere to the Equality act 2010. Increasingly we are automating existing manual doors in nursing homes, care homes and private dwellings to accommodate for disabled persons. This allows tenants to gain access into the premises and to areas of the building without being restricted by manual doors.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can help you, or if you have any questions we would be happy to answer them for you. Please call us on 03451 930 420, or leave us your details here and we will call you back.
What funding is available to you when faced with disability?
How do you pay for the changes that are needed to your home when faced with disability?
If you need to make changes to your home to make it more accessible, or you now need specialist equipment to help you, or someone you love manage day-to-day tasks more easily, then you might be entitled to financial help.
The financial help that is available depends on whether the changes that you need to make to your property are minor or major changes.
These would cover changing taps or installing hand rails around the home.
This could be the installation of a downstairs wet room, widening doors or getting automatic doors, or lowering worktops in your kitchen.
What help is available for you for minor changes to your property?
Help available is dependent upon where you live;
Your local authority will normally provide you with any disability equipment that you need. And small adaptations that are needed, costing less than £1,000, will be arranged free of charge, as long as you’ve been assessed as needing it and you are eligible.
You may have to pay towards disability equipment and minor adaptations but the amount you’re asked to pay must be reasonable and based on your financial circumstances.
Your local council in Scotland will normally provide you with essential equipment or adaptations costing less than £1,500 free of charge.
Your local trust will decide whether they will fund the equipment or minor adaptation or whether you’ll have to pay for it yourself.
What help is available for major changes to your property?
For bigger works that are needed to your home you will normally have to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant. These are paid by your local authority (or Local Housing Executive in Northern Ireland)
Eligibility is decided by your local authority, an assessment is usually carried out by an occupational therapist, and the works you want done must be classed as necessary and appropriate for your needs.
The grants are means-tested so any income and savings that you have will be taken into consideration.
How much funding is available?
The funding amounts vary depending on where you live in the UK. The table below gives the details based on 2016 guidelines;
| Maximum Disabled Facilities Grant payable | |
| England | £30,000 |
| Wales | £36,000 |
| Scotland | The amount you get varies depending on your local council. |
| Northern Ireland | £25,000 |
For details on how to claim a Disables Facilities Grant in the UK click here.
If you want more details on Disabled Facilities Grants in Northern Irelands click here.
Don’t forget that if the changes that you are making to your property push you into a higher council tax band then you may be eligible for a discount on your Council Tax. This is called the ‘Disabled Band Reduction Scheme,’ contact your local council to apply for the scheme.
From Galvanised, Aluminium, Heavy Steel, Insulated, Fire Protection and see through Vision Roller Shutters, we can supply, fit and maintain. The best way to prevent unauthorised access and vandalism to your premises, designed to secure your property and protect its contents.
Ideal in situations where head room may be restricted, and there is insufficient space to fit the box required for a roller shutter. These high quality doors are extremely robust, and constructed to give long service. In the event of accidental damage, sections can be replaced.
Designed to provide a thermal barrier between internal and external apertures whilst maintaining ease and speed of access. High speed doors allow fast action opening and closing, minimising the escape or ingress of warm air from the property.
AUTOMATIC DOORS Designed with safety in mind, all our automatic doors comply with British Standard BS7036. Designed and installed to meet the need of a high volume of pedestrian traffic and buildings needing to comply with the Equality Act 2010 (inclusive of the former Disability Discrimination Act) requirements.
Internal or external manual doors, in wood with or without lite kits and glass, or windows. All fire doors are all CE marked and CERTIFIRE approved. Full or partial glass doors for well traveled corridor doors. It is essential that the doors have a widow to provide safety and allow others to see people on eiether side of the door
Cantilever sliding gate systems do not require a ground track – ideal for sloping driveways or busy or heavy traffic entrances. We supply and fit Wooden, Aluminium and Steel sliding gates Solid wood or aluminium gates provide additional privacy and increased security.
Crucial Engineering responded very quickly to site for a survey and initial consultation. A quote was prepared and a time and date agreed. They were punctual and carried out the works efficiently, accommodating any additional works requested whilst on site. The site was left in a clean and tidy condition. Thank you for the great service
From the initial enquiry regarding installing a roller shutter door into our new premises, to the end product, Crucial Engineering have been a pleasure to work with. I will recommend Crucial Engineering in the future and look forward to working with them again on other projects.
Not only was the work carried out in a clean and tidy manner, but the advice we were given was invaluable and saved us considerable expense.
I can confidently endorse Crucial Engineering and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other landlords
