A campaign has been launched by the Department of Work and Pensions to encourage local companies to make their businesses more accessible to disabled customers and staff.

The ‘Adjusting for Better Business’ campaign is aimed at informing small businesses about their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and to show them the adjustments they need to meet the needs of disabled people.

An information pack specifically designed for small businesses is available to illustrate some of the adjustments which can be made and a checklist has been developed for small-to-medium retailers.

Launching the campaign, minister for disabled people Anne McGuire said, “The Adjusting for Better Business campaign is about encouraging small business entrepreneurs to look at what reasonable adjustments they can make to benefit both their business and disabled people.”

She added, “Making these adjustments is good for disabled people and good for business because it encourages more customers through your doors.”

Personal customer service is one of the main ways that a small business can really make itself attractive to customers. Other low-cost adjustments could include providing information or documents in different formats, such as larger print or braille and making entrances and internal layouts more accessible.

The campaign also recognises that disabled people include those with less obvious conditions such as diabetes or a mental health condition, as well as people with the more traditionally recognisable impairments such as those who use wheelchairs and blind or partially sighted people.

For more information or to request a copy of the booklet, contact call +44 (0)845 1249 841 or visit the website www.dwp.gov.uk/dda