Resources
Taking action – personal experience
In this video, disability campaigner and equality consultant Helen Dolphin shares her experience of successfully challenging a major restaurant group. This happened after she faced barriers to entering the premises and found there were no wheelchair accessible toilets.
Helen also introduces some template complaint letters she helped produce. These are for you to adapt and use any time you think you’ve been given ‘less favourable treatment’ simply because you’re disabled.
Template complaint letters
In some of the scenarios we suggest writing complaint letters. If you persuade a restaurant or transport provider to improve the way it delivers its service, this could benefit many other disabled people.
For example, if a college building isn’t wheelchair accessible, a complaint could bring about a refurbishment of the facilities. If there’s a shop with a large step, an effective letter could result in the installation of a ramp and automatic doors.
Write your letter as soon as you can, so the facts are fresh in your mind. It’s important to remember you only have six months from the date of the incident to start legal proceedings. Give yourself enough time – in case you decide to take legal action if your letter doesn’t produce results.
Out and About template letters
- Gym or leisure centre
- Museum or art gallery
- Pub or restaurant
- Shop
- Theatre or cinema
- Government service
- Bus company
- Train company
Education template letters
- Application format not accessible
- Barriers in interview process
- College and university Open Days
- Failure to make a reasonable adjustment
- Discrimination arising from disability and failure to make a reasonable adjustment
- Failure to make a reasonable adjustment in exams
- Harassment
Employment template letters
- Reasonable adjustments not made in recruitment process
- Excluded from promotion or training
- Harassment
- Premises not accessible
- Lack of support and adjustments to do your job
- Equal pay
- Current employer redundancy
- Sickness absence
- Victimisation
- Previous employer harassment
- Previous employer equal pay
- Previous employer excluded from promotion or training
- Previous employer premises not accessible
- Previous employer redundancy
- Previous employer victimisation
Injunctive relief – forcing service providers to change their practices
In this video, barrister Catherine Casserley explains how courts can make an ‘injunction’ to order a service provider to make changes to its practices as a result of it having discriminated against you.