Memorandum from British Telecom (DDB 27)
BT is delighted that the Government is acting
to reduce discrimination against people with disabilities and
welcome the proposed bill. It is our belief that the extension
of the duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity
for disabled people combined with extension of part III of the
DDA to transport, membership of larger private clubs and local
councillors will provide disabled people with greater choice and
greatly enhance their ability to live sustainably independent
lives.
The extension of the definition of disability
to people with Cancer and HIV at the point of diagnosis as well
as the inclusion of progressive disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis
is also welcomed. BT has long believed that Reasonable Adjustments
are vital in both attracting and retaining disabled people in
the workforce. We have a long standing partnership with AbilityNet
which enables us to provide new entrants with an assessment and
the right equipment as they join and have recently launched an
initiative known as Enable, an innovative partnership with Churchill
and Friend to ensure that our existing employees have access to
adjustments which help them return to and remain within the workforce.
We also believe that flexible working practices are essential
to creating an environment where all our people can contribute
to their fullest potential and would like to see access to flexible
working at least referenced within the Bill.
We note that the Government is considering the
extension of accessibility regulations to all rail companies in
the final Bill. This is something that, as a major UK employer,
we welcome whole heartedly believing that it will create greater
employment opportunities for people with disabilities and align
with both the Government's and BT's environmental strategy to
reduce harmful emissions and increase use of the public transport
system. It is our belief that better access to the national rail
system would also create more opportunities for greater engagement
by people with disabilities in the UK's tourist and leisure industry.
February 2004
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