FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Government Agencies urged to use Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant ground, sea and air transportation companies.

February 20, 2007

Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), set up to advise the Government and industry on the transportation issues of the disabled, has released two reports on the support of disabled peoples use of ferries, air travel and the connecting ground transportation links in the UK.

Currently the Government has exempted the air and ferry industries from full compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 2005. This exemption includes the ports, ferries, airports and airlines servicing the domestic UK market. The DPTAC committee suggests that the voluntary standards that these industries have been asked to meet have not lead to the improvements necessary to meet the needs of the disabled.

The committee has proposed that this exemption should be removed and the full standards of the Disability Discrimination Act be enforced. In a press release, Neil Betteridge, Chair of the DPTAC, commented, “It would also send a clear message to the aviation industry that gratuitous discrimination against disabled people is not to be tolerated.”

It is estimated that the UK has almost 12 million disabled people, almost 20% of the population. Also, the average age in the UK is now 50 years old. This combination of an aging population and a significant number of disabled further re-enforces the social value in bringing all services in line with the DDA of 2005.

Government agencies, local authorities and non-profit organizations in the UK are urged to use service providers that have put the appropriate equipment and procedures in place for the disabled.

Buyers Guide and its website, www.buyersguide.co.uk, can help the government purchasers and managers now find the right service providers that have complied with the Disability Discrimination Act of 2005. The website is a leading source of companies offering disability access equipment, service providers and training specialists. These include mobility vehicles, high visibility and Braille signage, specialist wheelchairs, ramps, hearing loops, access audits and staff training. There is now a specific category on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website of “Disabled Access Transport” listing companies that offer appropriate disabled access services.

What makes www.buyersguide.co.uk unique and different from the general internet or print directories is that the details of these thousands of service companies can be updated at any time with breaking news of relevant successes like new contract wins, new technologies, or patents awarded. Additionally, to tailor each message to public sector buyers, Buyers Guide offers each company a “profile” on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website. This profile is written to answer the pre-qualification questions from public sector buyers. This usually includes information like; previous work with other government bodies, case studies of past successes, years in business, industry qualifications or certifications like ISO 9002, testimonials from clients, government awards like investors in people, confirmation of equal opportunity employer status and specific contact details.

Government purchasing officers are incredibly busy and need to find the right service vendors quickly. The Buyers Guide profiling system allows them to do just that. With 2 clicks of the mouse, they can easily find qualified vendors in their area.

There are over 5,000 company listings in 1,200 categories on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website. The companies listed range from family businesses to multinationals, but all have the goal of working on public sector contracts. The public sector bodies regularly using the Buyers Guide website include central government, regional and local authorities, DfES, NHS, Universities, Ministry of Defence, social enterprises and government supported non-profit organizations.

Contact:

Buyers Guide
0191 260 5388
0191 221 2287
www.buyersguide.co.uk

Company History

Buyers Guide, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, was established in 1996 and is the leading online directory of UK companies that are targeting the £600 billion in public spending each year. To date, there are over 5,000 company listings in 1,200 categories on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website.