Equality and Human Rights Commission

You only have to do what is reasonable.

When deciding whether an adjustment is reasonable you can consider: 

• how effective the change will be in assisting disabled people in general or a particular customer, client, service user or member
• whether it can actually be done
• the cost, and
• your organisation’s resources and size.

Your overall aim should be, as far as possible, to remove any disadvantage faced by disabled people.

You can consider whether an adjustment is practicable. The easier an adjustment is, the more likely it is to be reasonable. However, just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it can’t also be reasonable. You need to balance this against other factors. 

If an adjustment costs little or nothing and is not disruptive, it would be reasonable unless some other factor (such as impracticality or lack of effectiveness) made it unreasonable.

Your size and resources are another factor. If an adjustment costs a significant amount, it is more likely to be reasonable for you to make it if you have substantial financial resources. Your organisation’s resources must be looked at across your whole organisation, not just for the branch or section that provides the particular service.

This is an issue which you have to balance against the other factors.

In changing policies, criteria or practices, you do not have to change the basic nature of the service you offer.

For example:

An association which exists to taste wine does not have to hold soft drink tastings when a member’s disability prevents them drinking alcohol.

Just because some of its treatments may be unsuitable for some disabled people, such as people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, a beauty salon does not have to stop offering certain treatments altogether.

If, having taken all of the relevant issues into account, you decide that an adjustment is reasonable then you must make it happen.