RNIB's Vice-President and former Chairman, Lord Low of Dalston, has secured a major victory through an amendment to the Equality Bill that recently went through Parliament.
Amendment strengthens right to accessible information
The amendment to the Bill will strengthen disabled people's right to receive information in an accessible format. This means, for example, that a blind person should receive an appointment letter from a GP or hospital in their preferred format, or someone with a learning disability should receive a leaflet from their local authority about council tax in an easy read format.
The amendment makes it explicit that to satisfy the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, those bound by it must take reasonable steps to provide information in an accessible format, where disabled people would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage in the way that information is being disseminated.
"Major step forward"
Lord Low said during the debate: "This is potentially a major step forward for anyone with a print disability of any kind... the change that this amendment signals and potentially delivers will afford a much more solid basis for robust enforcement action by regulators, advocacy organisations and disabled people themselves... Businesses and public sector bodies now need to think carefully about what they need to do to comply with this duty and promptly take action, as I expect this duty to be vigorously enforced."
Government Minister, Baroness Thornton, said during the debate: "We are proud of this amendment. We believe that if it is properly built on, it could be a turning point for people with information disabilities."
She continued "We want to see a significant increase in the reported levels of compliance with the duty where it concerns the provision of information in accessible formats. It is important that all kinds of organisations consider the information they provide to their audiences and what steps they may need to take to bring themselves into line with the duty."
Gaps in provision
Public bodies and service providers are, despite the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act, still not providing disabled people with information in formats they can read. To highlight this:
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Research by Dr Foster for RNIB has shown that 72 per cent of blind and partially sighted people do not get information from their GP in a format they can read.
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95 per cent of blind and partially sighted people said they were not asked by NHS staff what format they required when they were given information.
History of the amendment
During the Equality Bill's Committee Stage in January, an amendment, tabled by Lord Low of Dalston, was debated that would strengthen disabled people's right to receive information in an accessible format. The Government responded to debate on the amendment saying they would think further and return with their own amendment at Report Stage.
As a result of cross-party influence and consensus, Baroness Royall, Leader of the House of Lords, tabled the amendment, to make the right to accessible information an explicit requirement within the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. This important amendment provides a clear statement that cannot be ignored by service providers and public bodies and will create much needed change in attitudes and awareness of disabled people's right to accessible information.