Disability 
Discrimination 
Act 1995 
(Part III) 
Self Audit 
Pack 
in 
association 
with 
1VOLUME 2 
Introduction to 
Self Audit Form 
Alternative formats available on request
You are strongly recommended to refer also to the “Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Code Of 
Practice, Rights of Access, Goods, Facilities, Services and Premises” published by the Stationery Office 
of the Department For Education And Employment (available from the Publications Centre, P O Box 
276, London, SW8 5DT or by ‘phone on 0870 600 5522). 
Remember also that the Self-Audit Pack cannot replace proper legal help. If you are in any doubt about 
a specific requirement of the Act in relation to your business seek professional advice immediately.
Disability Discrimination 
Act 1995 (Part III) 
Self Audit Pack 
Contents 
Volume 1 - Introduction to Self Audit Form 
1 Introduction 
2 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 
4 The Act and Your Responsibilities 
10 Appendix
Volume 1 - Introduction 
1.0 Introduction 
One in every four of your customers has a disabled person in 
their immediate family or circle of friends and neighbours. It is 
estimated that 8.5 million people in the UK have a current 
disability that will come under the scope of the Disability 
Discrimination Act. Amongst this 8.5 million, some 42% are aged 
between 50 and 60 years old 
(source: Disability Rights Commission, March 2001). 
Apart from the fact that you should comply with current 
legislation in this area, it is good business to help and encourage 
all potential customers, disabled or not. Disabled people represent 
a large number of customers ready to be impressed by the 
additional support that you can offer them through a careful 
analysis of the way you provide your goods and services. 
It is always good practice to review the way you provide your 
services and to make adjustments that overcome physical and 
non-physical barriers in your business. Adopting a personal and 
friendly approach helps you to comply with your legal obligations, 
enables disabled people to access your services more easily and 
thus opens up a bigger customer base for your business. 
This set of 3 brochures is designed specifically to inform you 
about the provisions of the Act and your duties under it (Volume 
1); guidance notes on identifying physical and other barriers in 
your business (Volume 2); a self audit pack comprising easy-tocomplete-
forms that help you to plan all the changes you may 
need to make in order to achieve compliance (Volume 3). 
Remember, this publication has no legal status and is purely 
advisory, so you should always seek your own legal advice on 
specific issues. 
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2.0 The Disability Discrimination Act 
2.1 Background 
The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) is the first legislation 
that aims to provide equal opportunities for disabled people in 
Britain as well as their rights of access to goods, facilities, services 
and premises. 
The Act provides individuals with the right to challenge 
discriminatory behaviour through the courts in the areas of 
goods, facilities, services and premises as well as in ‘employment’. 
2.2 What are the implications of the legislation? 
The spirit of the legislation envisages a long-term aim of inclusion 
for all people in the community life and activities of our society. 
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The recent history of disability in Britain has been one of exclusion 
rather than inclusion in work, home, education and leisure 
activities. There has often been an incorrect assumption that 
people with substantial and long-term impairments cannot lead 
independent lives. 
Providing an accessible environment into and within our Post 
Offices will maintain our history of support for the whole 
community and for a sustainable service. 
2.3 The requirements of the DDA 
All service providers need to have a policy and a strategy for 
meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 
1995 and Royal Mail is no exception. A copy of the policy (October 
1999) is included in Appendix 1 for your use and information. 
For Branch Offices, you should ensure that you and your staff 
are always working to the last policy issued. (For sub post offices, 
you may wish to follow the same policy). 
The DDA legislation is, effectively, a 3-part exercise: 
December 1996 First introduction. It became unlawful for 
service providers to treat disabled people less favourably 
than other people for a reason related to their disability. 
(This was in addition to various employment protection 
provisions). 
1st October 1999 All service providers have to make 
reasonable adjustments for disabled people such as 
providing extra help, or making changes to the way they 
provide their services. Service providers must: 
• Take reasonable steps to change practices, policies or 
procedures that discriminate against less able people. 
• Provide auxiliary aids or services that will enable/facilitate 
disabled people to use a service. 
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• Overcome physical features thatmake it impossible or 
unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service, 
by providing the service through a reasonable, alternative 
method. 
1st October 2004 Service providers should have made 
reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their 
premises that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult 
for disabled people to use a service. They must do this by 
altering, removing or providing a reasonable means of 
avoiding such physical barriers. It makes sense to plan 
changes to the premises ahead of this date and incorporate 
improvements into all your routine maintenance 
programmes. Such forward planning is specifically referred 
to in the DDA Code of Practice (section 10.3) as “Part of a 
positive policy towards making services more accessible”. 
3.0 The Act And Your Responsibilities 
3.1 Who has rights under the Act? 
An adult or a child has protection from discrimination under the 
Act if she or he is a disabled person. A disabled person is someone 
who has a physical or a mental impairment that has an effect 
on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. That 
effect must be “More than minor or trivial”, i.e. it must be 
“Substantial, adverse and long term” (Lasting at least one year, 
often for the rest of the person’s life). 
Both physical and mental impairment (including sensory 
impairment) is covered by the Act. It should also be clearly 
understood that “Hidden” impairments (for example, mental 
illness and mental health problems, learning disabilities, 
conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy) are also covered. 
Importantly, you should be aware that people who have had a 
disability within the terms of the Act in the past continue to be 
protected from discrimination even if they no longer have that 
disability. 
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3.2 How can I respond tomy duties under the Act? 
Responding to your duties under the Act will mean coming up 
with solutions that are reasonable, considering all the relevant 
circumstances of your business. For example: 
• The effectiveness of particular solutions in overcoming the 
difficulty that disabled people face in accessing 
the services you provide. 
• The extent to which it is practicable for you, the service 
provider, to take specific solutions. 
• The financial and other costs of making such adjustments 
when viewed against the size and profitability of your 
business. 
• The extent of the disruption that might be caused to your 
business. 
• The extent of your financial and other resources. 
• The amount of resource already spent on making 
adjustments. 
• The availability of financial and other assistance. 
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3.3 What are “Reasonable adjustments”? 
According to the Code of Practice (paragraphs 4.10 and 4.11), the 
precise definition of the term “Reasonable adjustments” will 
depend upon all the circumstances in each case and will also take 
into account: 
a. The type of service. 
b. The nature of the provider (size and resource availability). 
c. The effect of the disability on the individual. 
d. The speed at which change can be effected (e.g. 
the relocation of a chair that creates an obstacle should 
be done immediately, the physical alteration of a building 
takes much longer). 
Ideal solutions may not always be possible but there is a 
continuing duty to follow good practice rather than follow 
minimum solutions. 
3.4 What is a “Physical feature”? 
Under the Act a physical feature includes anything arising from 
the design or construction of a building, an approach to, an exit 
from, or access to a building. Physical features will include any 
fixtures, fittings, furniture, equipment or materials whether 
temporary or permanent. 
3.5 What are auxiliary aids or services? 
There is a duty to provide auxiliary aids or services. Making 
adjustments for disabled people may include the provision of an 
auxiliary aid to ensure that the Post Office services can be accessed. 
You could provide a special piece of equipment or offer extra staff 
time to disabled customers, clients or service users. Other forms 
of auxiliary aids for example include induction loops, induction 
loop testing kits, fat pen grips and lap trays. 
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The Code of Practice: “Rights of Access: Goods, Facilities, Services 
and Premises” offers examples of types of auxiliary aids that 
can help to ensure compliance with the Act. 
Some examples of auxiliary aids and services applicable to hearing 
impaired customers may include: 
a) 
b) 
c) 
d) 
Examples of auxiliary aids and services applicable to visually 
impaired customers: 
e) 
f) 
g) 
h) 
i) 
j) 
Some examples of auxiliary aids and services applicable to 
wheelchair users are: 
k) Lightweight doors. 
l) Well positioned displays. 
m) Easily accessible form dispensers. 
n) 
All disabled customers should be made aware of the services 
provided and the assistance available. In addition all staff should 
be re-trained in the correct use of such aids/services. 
Written information in leaflet or book form. 
A means of taking and exchanging written notes. 
A loop induction system. 
Audio-visual fire alarms. 
Signs or documents in large/clear print. 
Spoken announcements or verbal communication. 
Good colour/tonal contrast, such as on the edge of the 
counter. 
Clutter free floor space by keeping excess stock out of the 
aisles. 
Good lighting. 
Signature templates. 
Lap trays. 
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3.6 How should Imonitor implementation and 
effectiveness? Whom should I consult? 
Under the Act it is your duty to ensure that the dignity of a 
disabled person is respected when services are provided and 
‘disabled people are entitled to be consulted about how they 
might be served’ (Code of Practice 1999: Rights of Access to 
Goods, Facilities, Services and Premises, paragraph 10.4). 
Consulting organisations for disabled people, disabled staff and, 
last but by no means least, your customers, provides an excellent 
way of making sure you assess and deal fully with potential 
barriers to the services which you provide. 
It is always worth contacting organisations that represent the 
needs of disabled people for their assessment of your property. 
Most towns have local access groups and most Local Authorities 
employ an Access Officer who can advise you. 
Keeping a record of the consultation process will show a positive 
approach has been taken if you are challenged with an allegation 
of discrimination. 
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Appendix 1 – The Royal Mail Policy 
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 
Rights of Access to Goods, Facilities, 
Services and Premises. (“Services”) 
Royal Mail recognises that many of its customers, whether disabled 
or otherwise, have individual needs when seeking to make use of 
its services. However, Royal Mail also recognises the fact that for 
some customers, the nature of their disabilities may mean that 
they experience specific difficulties related to access to its services. 
As part of its ongoing commitment to Equal Opportunities and 
the delivery of outstanding personal service, Royal Mail will 
endeavour to ensure that disabled customers receive the same 
standards of service as all other customers. 
In the light of this, Royal Mail will: 
Communicate to all staff that our policy for the provision of 
services ensures the inclusion of disabled people. Such 
communications will address the business opportunities with 
regard to disabled customers as well as the legal obligation 
of individuals and the organisation as a whole. 
Provide appropriate disability awareness training for staff that 
has contact with the public, which will explain the policy of 
Royal Mail towards disabled customers and the effective 
implementation of reasonable adjustments. 
Address acts of disability discrimination via existing conduct 
codes, where appropriate. 
Encourage suppliers, contractors, franchises and 
sub-postmasters to adopt similar policies towards disabled 
customers. 
1 0
In order to ensure that the services it provides effectively meet 
the needs of disabled customers, Royal Mail will: 
Consult with disabled customers, staff and disability 
organisations. 
Make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to 
use its services. Furthermore, Royal Mail will effectively 
communicate their availability to both customers and staff. 
Regularly review whether its goods, facilities and services are 
both accessible and effective, and take appropriate action. 
Encourage consideration of the accessibility of products and 
services to disabled people as an integral part of the design 
stage. 
Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of this policy 
on a regular basis. 
Operate an accessible customer complaints procedure whereby 
disabled people can make improvement suggestions and 
request assistance. 
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