Disability Act 2005 (Ireland), Part 3: Access to buildings and services.

Part 3 applies to public bodies: government departments, local authorities, the HSE and other bodies listed in the Act. It does not apply to private service providers, who are covered by the Equal Status Acts instead. A public building is any building, or part of one, to which the public generally has access and which a public body occupies, manages or controls. That includes leased space a public body runs.

Public bodies must ensure their public buildings are accessible as far as practicable. Public buildings had to be brought into compliance with Part M by 31 December 2015, and any later amendment of Part M must be met within 10 years of its commencement. Part M and its Technical Guidance Document M deal with signage, so a signage audit is a standard part of a Part M compliance review of a public building. A Minister may exempt a specific building on limited grounds, such as temporary use or unjustifiable cost.

Section 26 requires integrated access to services and an access officer in every public body. Section 27 extends the accessibility duty to goods and services supplied to a public body, which matters to anyone tendering for public sector signage. Section 28 deals with communications: accessible formats on request for people with visual or hearing impairments, accessible electronic communications, and clear language for people with intellectual disabilities. Section 29 covers heritage sites in public ownership or control.

Two approved codes of practice sit under section 30. The Code of Practice on Accessibility of Public Services and Information provided by Public Bodies (S.I. No. 163 of 2006) covers sections 26 to 28 and identifies design, layout, signage and lighting as physical barriers. The National Disability Authority has drafted an updated version and submitted it to the Minister. The Code of Practice on Accessible Heritage Sites (S.I. No. 484 of 2011) covers section 29.

In Great Britain the nearest equivalent is the Equality Act 2010, whose reasonable adjustment duty applies to private and public service providers alike. Northern Ireland still relies on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. In Ireland, private service providers are reached through the reasonable accommodation duty in the Equal Status Acts.