With legislation banning workplace discrimination against disabled people soon to come into force, it is timely to ask: how accessible is your workplace to people with disabilities?

Ms Niamh O'Doherty,* access officer at the National Rehabilitation Board (NRB), says while there is no legal requirement to adjust a building to accommodate the needs of a disabled person unless building started after June 1st, 1992, there is often a moral obligation to do so.

Workplaces built after that date "should be accessible to people with disabilities on the same basis as to non-disabled people", she says.

If the second floor does not exceed 280 square metres or if a third storey does not exceed 200 square metres, no lift is required by the regulations.

However, "the building in its entirety must be accessible to people with walking disabilities (as distinct from people who are wheelchair-bound). The presumption is that a person with walking disabilities will be able to get to the second floor," she says.

If a wheelchair-bound employee cannot get upstairs, all facilities must be available on the groundfloor, such as meeting rooms, offices and toilets. The upper storeys could be confined to some administration and storage.

Employers who want to undertake adjustments to a building to accommodate a disabled employee should seek the advice of the NRB before commencing work.

Ms O'Doherty knows employers who have wasted money having alterations done which did not assist disabled workers.

Employees with disabilities should be able to gain access to a building independently. They should be able to use the same door as other employees and not have to use a side or back door.

Employees with sensory disabilities can benefit greatly where a loop system is in operation. This enables a person who uses a hearing aid to eliminate background noise an effect similar to that achieved when a person with excellent hearing removes cotton wool from the ears.

A text telephone will warn a receptionist if a hearing-impaired person is on the phone. The receptionist puts the handset down; and reads the caller's query, and replies, in text form.

Employers can find out more about installing a loop system or text telephone by contacting the National Association for Deaf People, 36 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1 (Telephone: 01 872 3800).

"Where information is available in aural form, it should also be available in visual format, and vice versa," says Ms O'Doherty. For example, in hotels and supermarkets, special offers which are announced over the PA system should also be displayed in written notices. If something is written, there should be a voice-over as well.

Employers should ensure that fire alarms have a flashing light, so employees and customers with hearing disabilities are forewarned of an emergency.

Parking is important because travel distances can be a problem for disabled people. Employees with disabilities should be able to park nearby.

Desks should have a knee-clearing of 700 millimetres, so that a person using a wheelchair can get their legs under the desk. A standard desk is high enough, Ms O'Doherty says.

Doors must be wide enough for wheelchair-users to gain access. Handles should be levers rather than knobs. People with arthritis can have difficulty using door knobs, bolts or keys, whereas they can apply the palm of the hand to a lever handle or lock.

"Where a building is made user-friendly, you're not talking of big money" and it provides a safer environment for all employees, says Ms O'Doherty.

For instance, if circulation routes are kept clear and unobstructed at all times for disabled employees, it also helps reduce slips and trips by non-disabled workers.

People with visual disabilities and lots of people without any disability knock their head on the underside of stairs. There should be a barrier or a plant beneath the stairs to prevent this.

Handrails should be on both sides of the stairs. This is because some people, for instance following a stroke, will rely more on one side of their body. They need to go up the stairs on one side and use the other side to descend.

Ms O'Doherty is happy to offer advice to employers concerning workplace adjustments to facilitate disabled employees. Her telephone number is 01 608 0412.