A shop may have a welcoming entrance but an inaccessible checkout. A council may offer online appointments while its booking system cannot be used with a screen reader. Under the Equality Act 2010, providing the same service to everyone is not always enough. Service providers in England, Scotland and Wales must take reasonable steps to remove disability-related barriers, so disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
What does the Equality Act require of service providers?
Sections 20, 21 and 29 of the Equality Act 2010, together with Schedule 2, establish the duty to make reasonable adjustments in the provision of services. Businesses and organisations offering goods, facilities or services to the public may be covered whether customers pay or receive the service free of charge. Examples include retailers, banks, restaurants, leisure venues and many public services.
The law addresses a substantial disadvantage, meaning one that is more than minor or trivial, compared with the experience of non-disabled people. A failure to comply with the duty can amount to unlawful disability discrimination. The Equality Act applies across Great Britain; Northern Ireland has a different legislative framework.
The duty covers disabled people as a group rather than only customers whose individual needs have already been identified. It is an anticipatory duty: providers should think ahead about foreseeable barriers and review their arrangements as services change.
Three types of barriers that may require adjustments
Rules, policies and everyday procedures
A policy can appear neutral while excluding disabled people in practice. Consider an appointment system that permits bookings only by telephone. Someone whose disability makes telephone communication difficult may need an accessible online or written alternative. Other possible adjustments include allowing extra time to complete forms, modifying queuing arrangements or making appropriate exceptions to a no-dogs rule for assistance dogs.
The question is not whether everyone faces the same rule. It is whether that rule creates a disability-related disadvantage that reasonable action could avoid.
Physical features of premises
Steps, narrow doors, poorly positioned counters and obstructed aisles can prevent someone from using a service. Depending on the circumstances, a provider might move display stands, improve an entrance, install suitable access equipment or arrange service at an accessible location.
A physical alteration is not automatically required in every case. Providers must consider what would effectively overcome the barrier, including reasonable alternative methods of access. An alternative that is humiliating, unreliable or markedly inferior may not meet the duty simply because it is cheaper.
Auxiliary aids and accessible communication
Auxiliary aids are equipment or support that help disabled people use a service. Depending on the setting, these could include a hearing loop, accessible digital documents, large-print information or appropriate communication assistance.
Digital accessibility also matters. If a booking form cannot be operated by keyboard, offering a workable alternative may be necessary while the underlying problem is addressed. Disability access law is about whether people can genuinely use the service, not merely whether an accessibility statement exists.
Why providers cannot simply wait for a complaint
The anticipatory nature of the duty is significant. A cinema should consider accessible booking and seating before a wheelchair user arrives. A bank should plan for customers who need information in accessible formats rather than improvising every time a request is received.
Individual circumstances still matter. Once a provider learns that a particular customer faces a barrier, it may need to consider a more tailored adjustment. Planning for common needs and responding thoughtfully to specific needs are complementary responsibilities.
What makes an adjustment reasonable?
There is no universal checklist or fixed spending threshold. Reasonableness depends on the circumstances, including how effective an adjustment would be, its practicality, cost, disruption and the provider’s resources. An affordable change for a national chain may be harder for a small independent business, although small size does not remove the duty.
The law does not usually require a service provider to fundamentally change the nature of its service or profession. Nor does it guarantee that every requested adjustment must be supplied exactly as proposed. But an organisation should assess workable options rather than dismissing a barrier with a blanket refusal.
A provider cannot require a disabled customer to pay the costs of reasonable adjustments that it is under a duty to make. Ordinary charges for the service itself are a separate question.
A practical example: a customer who cannot stand in a queue
Imagine a customer with a mobility impairment visiting a busy post office. The usual queue requires prolonged standing, causing significant pain. Insisting that the customer wait like everyone else may create a substantial disadvantage.
A reasonable adjustment might involve providing a seat while preserving the customer’s place in the queue, or arranging an accessible service point. The best solution will depend on the premises and staffing. Simply telling the customer to return when the branch is quieter may not adequately address the barrier.
How to ask for an adjustment or challenge a refusal
Although providers should anticipate barriers, explaining a specific difficulty can help secure an appropriate response. Describe which part of the service you cannot use, how your disability affects access and what change might make a difference. You can request an adjustment verbally, but keeping a written record is useful.
If your request is refused, ask for the reasons and whether the organisation considered alternatives. Save correspondence, dates, screenshots or details of unsuccessful visits. A manager or formal complaints process may resolve the issue; Citizens Advice or an appropriate equality advice service can help you understand further options.
Potential legal claims are subject to procedures and strict time limits, which differ by jurisdiction and circumstances. Seek prompt specialist advice rather than assuming that an internal complaint pauses the legal deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to disclose a diagnosis to request an adjustment?
Not necessarily. Explaining the access barrier and the change you need is often useful. A provider may reasonably seek relevant information, but the duty to anticipate common barriers exists even without knowledge of an individual customer’s disability.
Can a small business refuse because an adjustment costs money?
Cost and resources are relevant to reasonableness, but they do not create an automatic exemption. The business should consider less expensive, effective alternatives.
Do reasonable adjustments apply to websites and online services?
Yes. Online services can fall within the duty. Inaccessible navigation, forms or communications may create barriers requiring reasonable steps to address them.
Can a service provider charge extra for an adjustment?
No. Where an adjustment is required under the Equality Act duty, the provider must not pass its cost to the disabled person.
Making access part of the service
Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act are not special favours granted at a provider’s discretion. They are a legal mechanism for reducing barriers disabled people face. The strongest approach combines advance planning with a willingness to listen, test solutions and revise them when they do not work. For customers and providers alike, success means being able to access a service in an effective and dignified way.