Not just ramps and toilets… Sonia Rasbery Access & Learning Consultant rasbery.co.uk

Aims of the Day Review the current legislation relating to disability including looking at the responsibilities museums have under the Equalities Act 2010 Overview of how this relates to Accreditation Outline barriers to access

Definition of disability From the medical model of disability to the social model of disability. It is the ‘barriers’ which exist in society that disable people, not the person’s medical condition.

Key developments Disability Discrimination Act 2005 Equality and Human Rights Commission 2007 UN Convention on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2009 Equality Act 2010 Equality Duty 2011

How disability is defined in the legislation? A disabled person is someone with ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’

Review of the Equalities Act 2010 The EA moves legislation to a new single legal framework – 9 protected characteristics: Age Disability Gender reassignment Marriage and civil partnerships Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion and belief Sex Sexual orientation

The legislation Provides disabled people with rights Places duties on those who provide services, education and employment in 3 areas: Changing the way services are delivered Providing extra equipment Removal of physical barriers

Equality Act - disability The DDA defined discrimination in a number of ways and outlined four specific types of discrimination: direct discrimination failure to make reasonable adjustments disability-related discrimination victimisation The changes include new provisions on direct discrimination, discrimination arising from disability, harassment and indirect discrimination.

Equalities Act – changes/ additions Who is protected (changed) The definition of disability (changed) Direct discrimination (changed) Discrimination arising from disability (new) Indirect disability discrimination (new) Reasonable adjustments (changed) Harassment (new) Victimisation (changed)

Other legislation or permissions Disability legislation does not override other legislation or permissions, but it is also not an excuse to do nothing. ‘Reasonable adjustments’ are still required with due regard to: health and safety listed building, scheduled monument or other consent and permissions

Mapping Legislation to Accreditation What the legislation says in terms of delivery services: Staff - behaviour to visitors - decisions about providing goods, services & facilities Building Advertising and marketing Written materials Websites and internet services Telephone access

Mapping Legislation to Accreditation Policy, procedure and practice Access auditing and appraisal Training Action planning Impact assessments Consultation and evaluation

Barriers to access Organisational Physical Sensory Intellectual Financial Cultural/social Attitudinal/emotional More than one barrier can be experienced by the same person at the same time

Signposting Equality Act: Public Sector Equalities Duty: diversity/the-public-sector-equality-duty/ Equality act 2010: what do i need to know? Disability quick start guide publications/equality-act-guidance/disability?view=Binary The essential guide to the public sector equality duty essential_guide_guidance.pdf

Resources Equality and Human Rights Commission MLA’s Disability Portfolio RNIB & See it Right Pages/see_it_right.aspx Pages/see_it_right.aspx RNID Cultural Heritage without Borders – Disability Toolkit 0toolkit.pdf