Clause 19
Equality Bill
9:00 am
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey and Wood Green, Liberal Democrat)
Welcome back to the Chair, Mr. Benton.
I wish to speak to amendments 154, 155 and 234, tabled by me and my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon. The hon. Member for Forest of Dean made some interesting points, and I shall listen carefully to the Solicitor-General’s response.
Through amendment 154, we seek clarification from the Minister. The amendment would emphasise that duty holders must not only make reasonable adjustments, but that the asymmetry applied to those with disabilities under discrimination law must be preserved, so that optimum reasonable adjustments are made that are inclusive and a long-term solution, rather than just a temporary one. An example of the latter would be if a disabled customer wanted to enter a bank that had steps but no ramp, and the bank’s reasonable adjustment was to put up a doorbell allowing the customer to ring for someone to get the wheelchair up the steps. In our view, the optimum reasonable adjustment would be for the bank to build a ramp to facilitate the same service.