Parliamentary.ai

Overview

This bill amends the Equality Act 2010 to improve accessibility to public buildings for wheelchair users by introducing requirements for ramps to replace single steps of six or twelve inches. The implementation is phased over one and two years.

Description

This bill modifies the Equality Act 2010. Specifically, it adds new subsections requiring reasonable steps to be taken to ensure buildings provide wheelchair-accessible ramps instead of single steps. Two rules are introduced:

• Six-inch rule: A ramp must replace any single step under six inches high.
• Twelve-inch rule: A ramp must replace any single step under twelve inches high.

Crucially, these requirements do not apply to buildings with more than one access step. The changes will come into force gradually; the six-inch rule in one year and the twelve-inch rule in two years from the bill's passing.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify direct government spending figures. The cost of implementing the changes will likely fall on building owners, though there may be indirect government costs related to enforcement and potential legal challenges.

Groups Affected

The primary group affected is wheelchair users, who will benefit from improved access to public buildings. Building owners will be affected by the requirement to install ramps where necessary, incurring costs for alterations. Enforcement bodies will also be affected, needing to ensure compliance.