Further to the commencement of the Disability Act on the 13th of June 2018, the Ministry of Equality has launched two new booklets entitled “Accessibility in the Workplace” and “Welcoming Customers with Disabilities”.
The purpose of these new booklets is to provide the public sector with guidance and assistance in relation to the new Disability Act and highlight what is expected from them. It is written in an easy to understand format that avoids the use of legal and technical jargon. These two booklets complement the “Disability Language and Etiquette” booklet, which was issued last year and has been revised this year.
These booklets will be useful to both the public and the private sector. If anyone would like a copy, these are available free of charge from the Ministry of Equality at 14 Governor’s Parade. The booklets are also available electronically and can be requested by e-mail from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Consideration has been given in the design of the booklets in order to cater for a wider audience. Matte paper has been used with the purpose of diminishing reflection and glare, which is caused with gloss and semi-gloss paper. The typeface used is Arial with size 14, which is more suitable for people with sight impairments. The books are also printed with left justification and avoid the use of whole words with capital letters, which can be an issue to people with learning disabilities and autism.
The Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, said: “The Department of Equality has been working tirelessly to raise awareness and provide as much information as possible in relation to improving accessibility to people with disabilities. The Ministry has offered numerous training seminars in the past few years in preparation for the Disability Act. These booklets will offer another tool and resource, which will no doubt raise further awareness and provide valuable information in order to improve the service provided by Government to those who have disabilities.”
