Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

The duty to make reasonable adjustments is set out in the Equality Act 2010, which says that employers and organisations such as hospitals, care homes and GP surgeries must take steps to remove the barriers people face because of their disabilities. There are three parts to the duty:
- Change the way things are done - a duty to take reasonable steps to change a practice, policy or procedure that makes it more difficult for people with a disability to access or use their services.
- Change a physical feature - a duty to take reasonable steps to remove, change, or provide a reasonable way of avoiding a barrier such as steps, doors, toilets, signs and so on.
- Provide extra aids or services - A duty to take reasonable steps to provide an additional aid or service where it would help people with a disability to benefit. For example, a portable induction loop for people with hearing aids, British Sign Language interpreters, providing information in alternative formats, such as Braille or audio CDs, or extra staff assistance.

Providers must not wait for people to ask them to do something. They should consider in advance what they need to do to make their services accessible to all disabled people.

When is it reasonable to make the changes? Providers must make changes or adjustments to how they provide their services if it's reasonable to. Whether something is reasonable depends on the size, resources of the organisation and type of service they provide. It also depends on what changes or adjustments are needed and how practical or easy it is to do them. It's the courts who decide if something is reasonable or not.