Rights for disabled people, right service for everyone
August 01, 1996
NEW COUNCIL, BETTER PRACTICE
The new National Disability Council is prioritising working with private and other service providers to eliminate discrimination against disabled people, said its chairman, David Grayson, on July 9 when publishing its first year-end report to the government. Set up in January 1996 under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, it will monitor a new code of practice on rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises. However unlike the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission it does not have legal powers of its own. David Grayson is stressing the business benefits of tackling discrimination and asking companies to share their experiences. Contact NDC Secretariat on 0171 712 2099 (minicom 0171 962 8915)
NEW CODES, NEW GUIDANCE
Two new codes of conduct to help overcome disability discrimination were issued by the government on July 25. The first, from the employment and education department, aims to end job discrimination, with practical guidance on how employers can comply with the employment provisions of the 1995 Act, and comes into force on December 2 (ISBN 0 11 270954 0, ?9.95). The second code, from the social security department, covers rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises, including details on when it is illegal to refuse service to a disabled customer (ISBN 0 11 762432 2, ?6.00). Also published is a guidance note on the definition of disability (ISBN 0 11 270955 0, ?7.50). Contact DfEE on 0171 925 5109, DSS on 0171 712 2171 or for copies HMSO on 0171 873 9090
BETTER BUSINESS, BETTER HEARING
British airports group, BAA, has signed the Royal National Institute for Deaf People’s Louder Than Words charter, it was announced on June 26. The good practice ‘kitemark’ follows the introduction at all seven UK airports of minicoms, induction loops and other simple equipment, along with disability awareness training for staff. Some 15 million of BAA’s 90 million customers annually are likely to be deaf or hard of hearing. Contact Matilda Bradshaw, RNID, on 0171 296 8136
GOOD COMPANIES, GOOD CUSTOMERS
Sainsbury’s has sponsored the launch of a report by Scope, the national charity for people with cerebral palsy, examining how companies are winning customers from among the UK’s 6.5 million disabled people. Based on detailed examination of practices in 16 companies, In Good Company? (ISBN 0 946828 45 8, ?10) makes good practice recommendations to comply and benefit from the Disability Discrimination Act. Contact Fola Bakare, Scope, on 0171 636 5020
WELCOMING CUSTOMERS
A detailed training pack for organisations providing services to customers with learning disabilities has been produced by Mencap, the charity campaigning on behalf of people with a learning disability and their families. Sponsored by Halifax, it contains training modules on understanding the issues, providing a good service and implementing a customer care policy. The materials were tested by Midland Bank and the Benefits Agency. Contact Hasu Morar, Mencap, on 0171 454 0454
CLEAR ROAD FOR MOTABILITY
Enquiries by the National Audit Office and the Charity Commission into Motability, the charity which supplies cars to disabled people, have cleared the banks of making excessive profits and Gerry Acher, the organisation’s vice chairman and a partner in KPMG, its auditors, of any conflict of interest or personal benefit. The cost of cars compares favourably with those available from other suppliers. However the charity is recommended to be more competitive in its financing arrangements, instead of relying exclusively on the group of six banks, and to be more open with performance information. Contact Charity Commission on 0171 210 4477
Comment
Campaigners were disappointed when the government refused to grant the new National Disability Council the full powers enjoyed by its discrimination sister bodies, the CRE and EOC. Statutory powers are important, if only for status, credibility and funding. But as their twentieth anniversary annual reports shows (news of publication covered below) those powers have not exactly ended discrimination on racial or gender grounds, neither in the workplace nor in the market place.
Speaking softly while carrying a modest stick will need to be David Grayson’s tactics – using the carrot of current commercial concerns, like the need for higher sales and profits, better customer and employee relations, with the codes of conduct as the stick. His most powerful tool is publicity, both good in getting the issue of disability discrimination on the agenda, and bad if organisations do not act. Provide specialist help and advice and then let the drive for total quality take effect. A company that is really focused on all customer needs will end up providing a better service to the able bodied as well.
A detailed training pack for organisations providing services to customers with learning disabilities has been produced by Mencap, the charity campaigning on behalf of people with a learning disability and their families. Sponsored by Halifax, it contains training modules on understanding the issues, providing a good service and implementing a customer care policy. The materials were tested by Midland Bank and the Benefits Agency. Contact Hasu Morar, Mencap, on 0171 454 0454
CLEAR ROAD FOR MOTABILITY
Enquiries by the National Audit Office and the Charity Commission into Motability, the charity which supplies cars to disabled people, have cleared the banks of making excessive profits and Gerry Acher, the organisation’s vice chairman and a partner in KPMG, its auditors, of any conflict of interest or personal benefit. The cost of cars compares favourably with those available from other suppliers. However the charity is recommended to be more competitive in its financing arrangements, instead of relying exclusively on the group of six banks, and to be more open with performance information. Contact Charity Commission on 0171 210 4477
Comment
Campaigners were disappointed when the government refused to grant the new National Disability Council the full powers enjoyed by its discrimination sister bodies, the CRE and EOC. Statutory powers are important, if only for status, credibility and funding. But as their twentieth anniversary annual reports shows (news of publication covered below) those powers have not exactly ended discrimination on racial or gender grounds, neither in the workplace nor in the market place.
Speaking softly while carrying a modest stick will need to be David Grayson’s tactics – using the carrot of current commercial concerns, like the need for higher sales and profits, better customer and employee relations, with the codes of conduct as the stick. His most powerful tool is publicity, both good in getting the issue of disability discrimination on the agenda, and bad if organisations do not act. Provide specialist help and advice and then let the drive for total quality take effect. A company that is really focused on all customer needs will end up providing a better service to the able bodied as well.
A detailed training pack for organisations providing services to customers with learning disabilities has been produced by Mencap, the charity campaigning on behalf of people with a learning disability and their families. Sponsored by Halifax, it contains training modules on understanding the issues, providing a good service and implementing a customer care policy. The materials were tested by Midland Bank and the Benefits Agency. Contact Hasu Morar, Mencap, on 0171 454 0454
CLEAR ROAD FOR MOTABILITY
Enquiries by the National Audit Office and the Charity Commission into Motability, the charity which supplies cars to disabled people, have cleared the banks of making excessive profits and Gerry Acher, the organisation’s vice chairman and a partner in KPMG, its auditors, of any conflict of interest or personal benefit. The cost of cars compares favourably with those available from other suppliers. However the charity is recommended to be more competitive in its financing arrangements, instead of relying exclusively on the group of six banks, and to be more open with performance information. Contact Charity Commission on 0171 210 4477
Comment
Campaigners were disappointed when the government refused to grant the new National Disability Council the full powers enjoyed by its discrimination sister bodies, the CRE and EOC. Statutory powers are important, if only for status, credibility and funding. But as their twentieth anniversary annual reports shows (news of publication covered below) those powers have not exactly ended discrimination on racial or gender grounds, neither in the workplace nor in the market place.
Speaking softly while carrying a modest stick will need to be David Grayson’s tactics – using the carrot of current commercial concerns, like the need for higher sales and profits, better customer and employee relations, with the codes of conduct as the stick. His most powerful tool is publicity, both good in getting the issue of disability discrimination on the agenda, and bad if organisations do not act. Provide specialist help and advice and then let the drive for total quality take effect. A company that is really focused on all customer needs will end up providing a better service to the able bodied as well.
COMMENTS