The far-sighted will see a profit

Ever tried putting on a pair of dark glasses that shut out almost everything, turning sharp images into blurred outlines and making colours merge into a hazy hue?

Imagine now that those glasses cannot be taken off. Suddenly, things change. Getting from one place to another is a major challenge. Working out where items are located in a room becomes a question of memory based on habit. Going to a restaurant may require the help of a sighted partner, one who can point out where on a plate different food items are.

Welcome to the world of the blind and partially sighted, a sector that numbers some two million people in the UK. But these people do not sit at home. They have disposable income and, along with others with disabilities, are an increasingly important part of the overall customer mix for hospitality businesses.

But the obligation to look after their needs is more than just a moral one. Since 1996, businesses have had to review the way in which they offer their services to disabled people under the Disability Discrimination Act. The final phase of that legislation is now looming. From 2004, operators will have to make reasonable physical alterations to their businesses to render them accessible to disabled people.

In a bog of legislation already overflowing with the minimum wage, the Working Time Directive and equal opportunities, hospitality businesses might be forgiven for viewing the Disability Discrimination Act as a further layer of bureaucratic red tape. But the cost of accommodating the needs of the disabled may not be as crippling as it first appears.

In the case of the blind or partially sighted, compliance might be as simple as fitting a dado rail that appears as a design feature to a sighted person but is critical in guiding a blind person to his or her room. Or it might be more a question of attitude, a recognition that reading out menus to blind customers can make all the difference to the enjoyment of a meal.

All this, done properly, could be commercially advantageous to those astute enough to view the business benefits of a sizeable market.

But it is not enough to pay lip service to legislation through a fear of being pursued in court for non-compliance. Hospitality businesses must draw up a policy that embraces the principle of a warm welcome to customers with disabilities. This must be endorsed by those at the top end of the business and communicated regularly to all staff as part of an ongoing training programme.

And, as the act requires, consideration should be given to employing disabled staff who can provide what is, effectively, on-the-job awareness training to their colleagues.

Undoubtedly, there is still some way to go to change society's attitude towards disability in general. But, rather than moan about the burden of compliance, hospitality businesses should seize the opportunity to lead by example and show that they have a genuine welcome for those with particular needs.

It would be a short-sighted person who would ignore that kind of challenge.

Jenny Webster, Deputy editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper