LEISURE SERVICES AND DISABILITY POLICY
Service Provision and Disabled People - Policy Statement
Overall aim:
We aim to make all Leisure Services provided by or on behalf of Horsham District Council inclusive and accessible.
Policies:
- We will not unreasonably refuse services or provide services on less favourable terms on the grounds of disability.
- We will consult with service users and access groups etc, to help identify ways of making services more accessible. Where it is not possible to make services fully accessible, we will endeavour to provide reasonable alternatives.
- We will keep our policies, practises and procedures under review to avoid and reduce barriers for disabled people.
- We will develop and maintain a Disability Equality Access Action Plan for Leisure Services.
- We will train appropriate staff to ensure they are aware of their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), and are able to provide appropriate levels of customer care for disabled people.
- Where appropriate, we will provide auxiliary aids and services to improve access to services and facilities for disabled people.
- We will make changes and adaptations to buildings and outdoor sites to improve accessibility.
- We will undertake access audits across the Council’s key leisure facilities aimed at identifying physical barriers to access. Arising from this we will develop a costed prioritised programme of access improvement works and service adaptations.
- We will provide information to assist disabled people (and their carers) to make informed decisions about our services.
- We will seek to provide information about our services in accessible formats and where appropriate provide information in alternative formats to assist people with sensory impairments.
- We will provide ‘targeted’ leisure activities and opportunities aimed at encouraging participation by disabled people.
- Where it is essential that a disabled person or persons be accompanied by a carer in order to access one of our services, when requested, we will not charge the carer for admission.
- We will not unreasonably prohibit working ‘assistance dogs’ from entering our facilities. Where appropriate, we will provide users with places to leave assistance dogs while making use of our facilities.
- We will require organisations providing services to the public on behalf of HDC to adopt these policies and to meet fully their obligations under the DDA.
- We will encourage partner organisations to take reasonable steps to make their services and activities accessible and inclusive, and to meet their obligations under the DDA.
If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve our services to people with disabilities, please contact Leisure Services on Tel: (01403) 215153 or email: leisure@horsham.gov.uk
Revised: November 2007