subject: Access Audits As Per The Equality Act [print this page] Any organization, despite its purpose and size need to undergo access audits conducted by the authorities. The aim of this endevour is to identify how suitable is the building with regards to the access and ease of use by the potential users including those who have physical immobility issues or sensory impairments. The professional services examine the site comprehensively and present a report to bring to your notice the improvements that you need to adopt to meet the guidelines of Equality Act of 2010. The ultimate aim of this is to address the obstacles that the disabled people may encounter in the areas of work, access to services and goods, transport and education, etc.
Many entrepreneurs are not yet aware of the vitality of access audits. This is the best way to assure that your organization meets the rules and regulations set by the Equality Act. This is a critical compliance guideline to be followed by every organization. Ideally, the audit needs to be completed prior to the construction of a building or on change of ownership to ensure that the necessary documentation is completed. The factors that are analyzed include the good and bad practices, design of the building and layout to ensure that it causes no obstacles to the disabled people. There are three key factors that the access audits take into consideration the accessibility of services, the physical barriers against the predetermined criteria and usability of the services within the building. The auditor would follow a journey sequence which includes all major areas of the building and premises like arrival, entrance, services, facilities and exit.
For all the public buildings, the criterion of the checklist is more or less the same. Whether your organization is a large scale commercial office or a small charitable institution, you are expected to follow the guidelines of the act. The only flexibility allowed is specified under the section reasonable adjustments. As per this law, the employers are needed to make certain adjustments for the welfare of the employees with disabilities. The session is intended to support the disabled students and staff in educational institutions too. The greatest advantage of making the reasonable adjustments as per the access audits in an organization is that the disabled member of employees can enjoy convenience at their work. If you are offering a service to general public, you can also make sure that your business enterprise is catering to the interests of the disabled population too, thereby, ensuring equality.
It is important for you to approach the best access consultancy for support in conducting the audits. You might not be able to understand the complex guidelines of Equality Act. As a part of planning permission projects, the access statements issued are vital documentation projects. It is important to remember that the audit is the first step in the process of recognizing, planning and implementing changes. This is a means of preparing an access plan that can provide you with the desired end results. Improved customer and employee satisfaction is the promising outcomes of this venture. Today, there are a number of access consultancy services online who can guarantee you with extensive support for audits.
