Oliver has welcomed the news from the Government that the Department for Communities & Local Government will be conducting a review into the effectiveness of regulations on the accessibility of buildings to disabled people.
The news came in answers to Parliamentary Questions tabled by Oliver and speaking this week he said: ‘I’m pleased to have received these answers from the Government confirming that they will be reviewing regulations over disabled access to buildings.
‘All building owners and service providers, such as high street shops, have a duty under the Equality Act to make “reasonable adjustments to the physical features of buildings where a disabled person may be placed at a substantial disadvantage.” The importance of this was starkly revealed to me when I took part in the Wheelchair Challenge last month and saw first-hand just some of the obstacles that people using wheelchairs face.
‘These included badly uneven pavements, shops signs blocking pavements and ledges or steps in the doorways of shops preventing wheeled access. These seriously compound the already difficult position that being in a wheelchair on the high street places you in.’
Oliver took part in the ‘Wheelchair Challenge’ last month which involved navigating Shenley Road, Borehamwood, in a wheelchair, accompanied by several local residents who also use one.
In response to the challenge, he tabled a series of questions to ministers.
Notes to Editors
Copies of Oliver’s questions to the Department for Communities & Government below:
- Question 1:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the relative accessibility to wheelchair users of shops in England. (107184)
Answer - Alok Sharma MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning:
The Government has commissioned research to evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory guidance about accessibility and we will publish the results in due course. We have not undertaken a separate assessment of the relative accessibility of shops for wheelchair users.
- Question 2:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on statutory provisions to ensure that all shops in England have facilities to enable wheelchair access; and if he will make a statement. (107182)
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that high street shops are wheelchair accessible. (107183)
Answer - Alok Sharma MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning:
Part M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations requires that where building work takes place, including the erection or extension (and in some case material alteration) of a building, reasonable provision is made for access to and use of the building and its facilities. Approved Document M (Access to and use of Buildings) provides guidance on common ways of demonstrating compliance with this requirement. The Equality Act 2010 also places duties on building owners and service providers to make anticipatory reasonable adjustments to the physical features of buildings where a disabled person may be placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person.