Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2018.

The Equal Status Act 2000 and its amending Acts prohibit discrimination on nine grounds in the provision of goods and services, accommodation, education and club membership. Unlike Part 3 of the Disability Act 2005, which binds only public bodies, the Equal Status Acts reach almost every organisation that serves the public. Employment is covered separately by the Employment Equality Acts.

The definition of disability is wide. It covers the total or partial absence of bodily or mental functions, chronic illness, malfunction or disfigurement of part of the body, conditions that cause a person to learn differently, and conditions affecting thought processes, perception, emotions or judgement.

Section 4 makes it discrimination for a service provider to refuse or fail to do all that is reasonable to accommodate the needs of a disabled person by providing special treatment or facilities, where without them it would be impossible or unduly difficult for the person to use the service. A refusal is not deemed reasonable unless providing the facility would cost more than a nominal amount.

The test turns on the individual service and the cost involved. For signage the practical questions are whether a disabled customer can find the entrance, the counter, the toilets and the way out, and whether a modest change would fix it. Accessible signage designed to TGD M and I.S. EN 17210 principles at fit-out stage is the cheapest way to meet the duty.

The Irish test is framed around nominal cost. The Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland instead ask what steps it is reasonable for the provider to have to take. Public bodies in Ireland carry both this duty and the additional Part 3 duties in the Disability Act 2005.