Wales Council of the Blind

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Commons Committee reports on disability and the built environment

The Women and Equalities Committee of the UK House of Commons has published the results of its review of accessibility of the UK’s homes, buildings and public spaces. It concludes that, although the Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments to be made so that disabled people are not excluded from workplaces, public buildings, and places that serve the public, the Act is not having the kind of impact that was expected.

The report calls on the UK Government to ‘act to more visibly lead the charge in improving access and inclusion in the built environment’ and makes a number of recommendations. The Committee’s view on ‘shared spaces’ will be of particular interest to people with sight loss. They recommend that the current guidance should be replaced with a more inclusive approach, and that any new schemes should be halted until this has been done.

To find out more, and read the full report, click here.