At the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) we want to provide:
- an experience that works for everyone
- services that disabled people can use independently where possible and that do not place disabled people at a disadvantage
We know that disabled people sometimes need our help and support to use our services. This can mean that we need to provide something different so you can access and use our services in the same way as a non-disabled person. We often call this a reasonable adjustment.
By listening carefully and responding to what people need, we can make a real difference and help to provide an experience that works for everyone
Our legal duties
The Equality Act 2010 protects the rights of disabled people. This means we have a legal duty to help and support where we can. You will find reasonable adjustments in section 20 of the Act.
Anyone providing goods, facilities or services to the public or carrying out public functions who find that there are barriers to disabled people in the way they do things must consider making adjustments. If those adjustments are reasonable they must be made.
Under the Equality Act, a disabled person is anyone with “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.
What are reasonable adjustments?
We’re able to do lots of things that mean that disabled people can use our services independently wherever possible and in a way that is fair, for example:
- providing documents in different formats, such as large print, audio or easy read
- making sure our buildings are accessible
- giving someone more time to provide further information
- Providing documents on coloured paper or with a specific colour contrast, which can often help people with conditions such as dyslexia
This list doesn’t include everything we can do to help, and we’ll always talk to you first about what you need.
How to arrange a reasonable adjustment?
Disabilities affect people differently so we won’t always know what will help. If you have a disability that means you can’t access our information and services please get in touch with us. You can request help and support as a reasonable adjustment by phone, email or in writing. We consider each request individually and aim to agree to any adjustments with individuals to avoid us making incorrect assumptions about needs.
To discuss in more detail please contact customer services
Our response to requests
We will try to agree a reasonable adjustment with a minimum of delay. In some cases we may need to consider the request in more detail. There may be circumstances where we decide not to meet the request. The law says that an adjustment only has to be made if it is reasonable. We need to take account of the cost or resource implications, whether the request itself is reasonable and whether there is a more cost-effective way of meeting the request.
Complaints about failure to provide reasonable adjustments
If someone is dissatisfied with our response to their request for reasonable adjustment or with the adjustment provided they can complain to us. We will respond in accordance with our complaints handling procedure