Accessible entrance, WC and menu check
The Equality Act 2010 puts a duty on you to make "reasonable adjustments" so disabled customers are not put at a substantial disadvantage — a step-free entrance, a usable WC, menus available in an accessible format, and staff who know how to help.
The Equality Act 2010 puts a duty on you to make "reasonable adjustments" so disabled customers are not put at a substantial disadvantage — a step-free entrance, a usable WC, menus available in an accessible format, and staff who know how to help. Walk the venue with this in mind before you open and fix what you reasonably can.
A refusal to make reasonable adjustments is treated as unlawful discrimination, and a customer can bring a claim in the civil courts. It also affects real trade — a venue people cannot get into or use comfortably loses custom before you ever find out why.
Use this to check what reasonable adjustments look like for a venue your size.
Who this is for
Every venue open to the public, regardless of size — the duty applies UK-wide including Scotland, which sits under the same Act.
The duty is anticipatory — you should not wait for a specific disabled customer to complain before acting. What counts as "reasonable" scales with the size and resources of the business, so a small independent is not held to the same standard as a large chain.
What you’ll hold
- Accessibility walk-through checklist and any actions taken
Watch out for
- Treating a single step at the entrance as unfixable. A portable ramp, a bell for assistance, or a levelled threshold are all reasonable adjustments that cost far less than a full rebuild.
- Forgetting the menu. Large print, a clear font, or staff trained to read it aloud are reasonable adjustments too, not just physical access to the building.
- Doing the check once and never again. If you change the layout, move furniture permanently, or alter the WC, re-check — an adjustment that worked before a refit might not still work after.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Equality Act 2010: guidance checked 2026-09-02
See also
This is item 1 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →