Introduction
1. Chambers is committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to remove or reduce substantial disadvantage for disable people working with Chambers or receiving legal services.
2. This policy covers all members of Chambers, employees, clerks, pupils, mini-pupils and visitors to Chambers.
3. This policy is circulated to all members, staff, pupils, clerks and those who are required to read and understand it. This policy is also available on Chambers’ website.
Definition of Disability
4. For the purposes of this policy, the definition of disability follows that set out in the Equality Act 2010, s.6. A person is therefore disable if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. “Substantial” means more than minor or trivial and “long term” means 12 months or more.
Types of Reasonable Adjustment
5. This policy does not provide an exhaustive list of the reasonable adjustments that Chambers will make for staff, barristers, pupils or visitors, however the following types of adjustment that may be made are listed below:
a. Provision of information in alternative formats (e.g. large print, Braille etc)
b. Paid leave for disabled employees of Chambers
c. Provision of auxiliary aids e.g. induction loops
d. Provision of accessible conference room facilities
e. Provision of a reader or interpreter
Staff, Barristers and Others in Chambers
6. Staff or barristers with specific requirements should make requests to the Chambers Management Committee for reasonable adjustment decisions. All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered on a case by case basis with the advice and assistance of other Chambers’ Equality and Diversity Officers and where it is not possible to make the adjustment requested, Chambers will discuss viable alternatives with the applicant.
7. The Head of Chambers and Deputy Head of Chambers are responsible for considering whether or not disabled staff, barristers or pupils require assistance during an emergency evacuation and if so whether or not a personal evacuation plan is required for the individual(s) concerned. If so, the plan will be developed in partnership with the individual concerned in order to ensure that adjustments to the emergency evacuation procedure may be made.
Visitors to Chambers
8. Barristers are responsible for considering reasonable adjustment requests for their visitors. They are also responsible for anticipating any likely reasonable adjustments that will need to be made for visitors whom they know to be disabled and are likely to require assistance. Visitor requests for specific reasonable adjustments may be made by contacting Ian Hogg, Senior Clerk.
Costs of Making Reasonable Adjustments
9. In no circumstances will Chambers pass on the cost of a reasonable adjustment to a disabled person.
Review
10. This Policy will be reviewed at least every two years by Chambers’ Equality and Diversity Officers.