Access denied - for a reason....

Your piece on disability discrimination (“Access Denied”, 1 October, page 26) was a good article and we were fairly criticised for our head office not having adequate access. But why? Because our offices are being refurbished and the wheelchair access is being moved from the tradesmen’s entrance to the front.

In the same issue, Barbara Thorndick wrote a piece about housing associations changing their names. Perhaps I shouldn’t take it personally, but as the article came out the week after our name change from New Islington and Hackney to Mosaic Homes, I have done.

The argument she presented for such a name change was that strong geographical connections are being forsaken in a blind bid for growth. Could there be other reasons for the change? I could list many good business reasons, none of them growth. Here is one from a councillor in Essex: “We thought it was essential that you changed your name. You are a valued partner but the old name was being mischievously used by the BNP to stir up racial hatred in parts of the borough.”

This is a county where we have three offices and 450 staff. Growth didn’t come into it. If you want the other reasons give me a call. I’ll try to make sure the facts are with you in time for your next deadline.

Brendan Sarsfield, chief executive Mosaic Homes