The Legal Reasons
Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 makes it unlawful for a service provider such as an estate agent, letting agent or social landlord to discriminate against a disabled person.
The Act also imposes duties on service providers to make reasonable adjustments, which includes a duty to change a practice, policy or procedure that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services.
Whilst it is unlikely that you will have a policy of not providing a service to a disabled person, your practice regarding the amount of access information you hold and make available about properties may still inadvertently exclude a disabled person. Incorporating Accessible Features can help you show that you are meeting your duties under the Act.
Ensuring the actual service you provide meets the needs of disabled people is, however, only one part of meeting your duties under the DDA. You'll also need to ensure the access to your premises and information is as good as possible and that your staff's attitude to disabled people is in line with modern thinking and the law.
