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Re: Is your bandroom ready for 2004?

Colin Thomas said

>I read a letter in the BB today which  has of course struck a chord.
>I am at present on the Disability Access Group in my local town and
>it is obvious that property managers and owners are not aware that
>buildings have to be disability friendly by the year 2004

This is true, but only in part!

I worked in access issues for four years and was very much involved in
these issues when the Disability Discrimination Act came in (the Act
which contains these requirements).

Yes, goods and services provided for the general public have to be
accessible - from 2004 this will include buildings.  Where they are not
currently accesible, occupiers and owners of 'public' buildings will
have to have made 'reasonable adjustments' to make those buildings
accessible.  If a legal case is brought, each building will be judged
on it's own merit and an assessment will be made of whether the
necessary adjustments are 'reasonable.'  From the outset, the Act has
reaslised that exceptions may need to be made.  If it does not already
exist, I am sure that the HMSO will be publishing Codes of Practice
which you may purchase to help you decide what changes you need to make
to your bandroom.

It is worth noting that, unless the law has changed since 1995 when it
was passed, the requirement is for goods and services offered to the
'public'.  In essence this means that a bandroom only accessible to
members and staff of a band is not open to the public and thus need not
change but a bandroom where the public is invited to listen needs to
comply.

None of this is to say that I don't think that every band should look
at access to it's own premises as a matter of Good Practice anyway.

In terms of the Act, it is probably more important for bands to be
aware that concert promoters may have duties to ensure that the
premises they use for concerts meet the legal requirments.  This means
that when you book someone else's hall to perform in, you should be
asking them about their access arrangements and looking for somewhere
else if you are not happy with the answers you get.  This also applies
to contest organisers - and this should extend to ensuring that
performers' areas are also accessible.

>Local Access groups can give advice and help mostly at no cost and
>of course there is a chance to build good community relations  also
>gain good publicity for the band.

Yes Local Access Groups can be very helpful - and many local councils
also have a paid local Access Officer.

I would agree entirely about improvements to access being good for a
band's standing in the community but I would like to think that a band
would make the improvements in the name of equality rather than as a
means of getting good publicity.

Pete
--
Pete Denton


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