Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

(1) Where this Act imposes a duty to make reasonable adjustments on a person, this section, sections 21 and 22 and the applicable Schedule apply; and for those purposes, a person on whom the duty is imposed is referred to as A.

(2) The duty comprises the following three requirements.

(3) The first requirement is a requirement, where a provision, criterion or practice of A's puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

(4) The second requirement is a requirement, where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.

(5) The third requirement is a requirement, where a disabled person would, but for the provision of an auxiliary aid, be put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to provide the auxiliary aid.

Reasonable adjustments are changes that organisations and people providing services or public functions have to make for a person a disability puts them at a disadvantage compared with others who are not disabled. A record of reasonable adjustments that must be provided by the service to comply with the Equality Act 2010.

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.

Changes that public services, buildings and employers have to make to make it possible for people with disabilities to use a service or do a job. These changes include things like adjusting your working hours or providing you with a special piece of equipment to do the job. It is against the law to discriminate against you because you have a disability.