Overview
Everyone providing a service to the public must ensure that people with a disability can access their service; dentists are no exception.
The Equality Act 2010 provides the rules for disability discrimination. You must not treat a disabled person less favourably for a reason related to their disability (unless you have objective grounds for exemption). Consider the steps you need to take to ensure your service is accessible and assess whether you can implement the necessary changes or need to identify alternative arrangements.
Further information is available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). It provides guidance on What equality law means for your business and operates the Equality Advisory Support Service helpline on 0808 800 0082.
See also Equality and diversity in the workplace, which covers the duties of businesses towards disabled employees.
Key learning points
This advice describes your responsibilities as a service providers and will help you to
- Understand and implement the requirements of the Equality Act to avoid (as a service provider) discriminating against those with a disability
- Understand who might be regarded as a person with a disability
- Decide what reasonable adjustments are needed
- Demonstrate that your services are accessible
- Seek and act on appropriate advice.