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09/03/2004
Thousands of SMEs risk prosecution over disability access
More than two-thirds of small business owners risk breaking the law if they fail to make their premises compliant with an extension of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), according to research published today.
From October this year, all UK businesses with fewer than 15 staff will be required by law to make their workplaces accessible to both disabled employees and customers. However, new research by UnumProvident, the UK's leading disability insurer, reveals that up to 90,000 small to medium business owners in the UK are "entirely ignorant" of these impending changes.
In UnumProvident's latest survey, 69% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) bosses were unaware of the upcoming changes. But when the details were explained to them 71% said they believed that the DDA was the best way of combating discrimination against disabled people.
However, 61% of the 1.3 million SME owners in the UK did not realise how or to what extent their businesses would be affected by the new law. Moreover, 39% believed the changes would have absolutely no impact and only 12% thought the amendments would have a large effect on the running of their business.
Despite this, estimates reveal that more than one million small businesses will have to make adjustments to their workplaces or else face possible law suits costing tens of thousands of pounds from customers or industrial tribunals from staff.
At the same time, there is confusion over the cost of making these necessary adjustments. In the survey, 34% of business owners believed they would incur no costs, whereas 14% thought they would have to spend more than £5,000 to become compliant.
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director for UnumProvident, said: "Overall, with only six months to be compliant, the lack of awareness by small business owners on the potential impact of changes to the DDA is a cause for concern.
"For most small to medium businesses the cost implication is more likely to fall between these two extremes. The key principle of the Act is reasonableness and there is still time to respond to the changes by incorporating adjustments into routine maintenance or refurbishment plans. But, it is important to act now before it is too late."
(gmcg)
From October this year, all UK businesses with fewer than 15 staff will be required by law to make their workplaces accessible to both disabled employees and customers. However, new research by UnumProvident, the UK's leading disability insurer, reveals that up to 90,000 small to medium business owners in the UK are "entirely ignorant" of these impending changes.
In UnumProvident's latest survey, 69% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) bosses were unaware of the upcoming changes. But when the details were explained to them 71% said they believed that the DDA was the best way of combating discrimination against disabled people.
However, 61% of the 1.3 million SME owners in the UK did not realise how or to what extent their businesses would be affected by the new law. Moreover, 39% believed the changes would have absolutely no impact and only 12% thought the amendments would have a large effect on the running of their business.
Despite this, estimates reveal that more than one million small businesses will have to make adjustments to their workplaces or else face possible law suits costing tens of thousands of pounds from customers or industrial tribunals from staff.
At the same time, there is confusion over the cost of making these necessary adjustments. In the survey, 34% of business owners believed they would incur no costs, whereas 14% thought they would have to spend more than £5,000 to become compliant.
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director for UnumProvident, said: "Overall, with only six months to be compliant, the lack of awareness by small business owners on the potential impact of changes to the DDA is a cause for concern.
"For most small to medium businesses the cost implication is more likely to fall between these two extremes. The key principle of the Act is reasonableness and there is still time to respond to the changes by incorporating adjustments into routine maintenance or refurbishment plans. But, it is important to act now before it is too late."
(gmcg)
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