Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Fourth Report - Accessibility of products and services to disabled people
Women and Equalities Committee
HC 605
Published 19 March 2024
Recommendations
3
Accepted
Para 17
Task Disability and Access Ambassadors to engage businesses on inclusive design best practice
Recommendation
The Government should task the Disability and Access Ambassadors with engaging with businesses on inclusive design, to seek out and share best practice and to identify the barriers to making products and services in their sectors accessible to disabled people. …
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Government Response Summary
The government explains that Disability Access Ambassadors (DAAs) are senior business leaders who already identify accessibility barriers and encourage improvements in their sectors. It details how DAAs meet regularly with ministers and work with other government departments, providing various examples of their existing initiatives, reports, and guides.
Government Equalities Office
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4
Accepted
Para 18
Establish Extra Costs Taskforce by summer 2024 to understand disabled people's daily expenses
Recommendation
Disabled people face additional costs in their daily lives. These costs are exacerbated by restrictions on their choice as consumers. We support the Government’s commitment in the National Disability Strategy to establish an Extra Costs Taskforce to better understand the …
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Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation and states it will set up the Extra Costs Taskforce. The Disability Unit will bring together disabled people, regulators, and businesses to examine the additional costs faced by disabled individuals.
Government Equalities Office
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8
Accepted
Para 34
Mandate banks to adopt inclusive design for cards and ATMs, ensuring full accessibility
Recommendation
The Financial Conduct Authority should work with the retail banking sector and organisations such as the RNIB to ensure all banks embrace inclusive design from the outset when innovating or phasing out existing services. We recommend that all banks: • …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that banking services must be accessible and highlights existing legal requirements for reasonable adjustments. It details ongoing work by the financial services industry with RNIB, including features like dot/notch on cards and talking ATMs, but does not commit to the specific new actions recommended for inclusive design or card roll-out.
Government Equalities Office
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Conclusions (2)
2
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 16
Not all businesses are considering the needs of disabled consumers when bringing products and services to the market. Where accessibility is considered, it is often done so retrospectively, as something to be bolted on to an existing design. Products and services should be inclusive by default. By not embracing inclusive …
Government Response Summary
The government responds by detailing the existing Disability Access Ambassadors (DAA) programme, outlining how senior business leaders identify and encourage improvements in accessibility and quality of products and services in their sectors. It provides numerous examples of DAA initiatives, reports, and guides already in progress.
7
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 34
Several banks and financial providers have innovated to make their services accessible to blind and partially sighted customers, such as issuing debit and credit cards with tactile indicators. However, this is not standard practice across the banking sector as providers continue to phase out embossed cards. We are also concerned …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for accessible banking services, referring to existing legal requirements for banks to make reasonable adjustments. It details ongoing industry efforts and collaborations, such as tactile payment cards, talking ATMs, and guides for electronic point-of-sale devices, indicating these measures are already in place.