East: Wheelie friendly?

Deborah McGurran Politics Show East

Welcome to the world of a wheelchair user. It is an obstacle course of cobbles, kerbs and steps. And there is a cost to all these barriers.

For disabled people it is lost human rights and for businesses it is lost custom.

The Queen announced that a draft Bill will be published

responding to a review of the law relating to disabilities as part of my Government's programme to extend the rights and opportunities of disabled people.

New measures will be in addition to the final implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Maria Eagle: "One year to go"

The clock is ticking to the deadline for the final rights of access, which comes into force in October 2004.

But firms, leisure services and anywhere in fact that provides public access have to look at their arrangements for disabled people now, if they are to be ready in time.

A consumer test

Politics Show East sent actress Julie Fernandez, who starred in the BBC hit comedy The Office to test whether the region was up to the mark in the East.

Luton Airport claims to be one of the best set up travel facilities for disabled travellers.

Disability in Eastern England 33,990 claimed DLA in 2000 873,168 have a limiting long term illness (LLI) Norfolk has 19% of its population as LLI Four Norfolk Districts are among the top ten in the Region Great Yarmouth ranks second in permanently sick and disabled

Julie arrived there in her wheelchair to test it all out. The Airport has been striving to be to make itself as accessible as possible to all its customers.

Although it consults disability activists regarding their needs, it does not employ any in its access team.

Disability Activist David Childs said;

It is in Luton's interest to make travel for the disabled traveller best as it possibly can.

Our money is good as anybody else's. Anybody on two legs, our money is just the same as their money.

Yes they really are trying to make travel through Luton as pleasant as they possibly can.

Julie arrived at Luton Airport in her wheelchair

Yet Luton is not without it's problems. Check in desks are hardly wheelchair friendly and as for information points ... !

Ms Fernandez also tested out a tourist destination in the east of our patch, the Kings Lynn arts centre, which has been under threat of closure precisely because the necessary alterations to accommodate disabled people are threatening to be too expensive.

What about historic buildings?

Welcome to the Kings Lynn Arts Centre, or may be not. There is flight, after flight, after flight of stairs to reach the first floor theatre.

Come next year this arts centre MUST comply with the Disability Discrimination Act or they could be fined up to £50,000.

The region's businesses also may have to spend tens of thousands of pounds to comply with the new rules.

Is it true, as claimed by the disabled lobby, that very little is being done and business will try and ignore the DDA's new rights of access when they become law in 11 months time?

... And Business

Politics Show East tell the story of Michelle Smith. She may have spina bifida but at Plus Wipes she's a key member of the team.

The firm in Corby makes wet wipes. Michelle is on the production line alongside able bodied colleagues.

Michelle is able to work because the taxpayer paid for a £5000 wheelchair which moves her up and down while she works.

It is the kind of partnership the Government wants to encourage.

Martin Teesdale-Brown from Plus Wipes said;

For years it has been illegal for large employers to discriminate against disabled people. From October 2004 the same rules will apply to small employers.

Organisations serving the public must make themselves accessible to disabled customers too.

Greene King has over 1000 pubs across South and East England, including the Earl of Derby in Cambridge.

The bill for adapting them to meet the new laws is £12m.

Britain's disabled population has an annual spending power of £50bn a year. But there are real fears about the cost of implementing the new rules.

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