Contractors could be in line for a £1.5bn boost to workload after a survey revealed that three out of four business premises must be modified to meet disability legislation over the next four years.
The survey was included in a report, Left Out, launched by Margaret Hodge, minister for disabled people, on 3 July 2000.
From 2004, part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act will require service providers to have made “reasonable adjustments to buildings” to ensure that they are accessible. This would include introducing features such as ramps, wider entries and automatic doors.
The survey coincides with the launch of a group to advise ministers on improving access to the built environment.
Construction minister Nick Raynsford said at the launch: “I will be looking to the new group to tell me how government and industry can make improvements in this area.”
