UNIVERSAL DESIGN and AUDITS
Imperatives which include the South African Constitution, the Employment Equity Act, the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act and more recently the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as other human rights laws, have reinforced the importance of addressing the social inclusion of persons with disabilities into all areas of society.
These significant legal instruments have generated new requirements for the planning and management of all public and commercial activities as part of a much larger responsibility placed at the door of the private and public sectors.
One of the consequences of this combined legal framework to promote equity is the responsibility that now lies with the corporate governance of any governmental or private sector entity to address the needs of persons with disabilities, and ensure an improved quality of the environment for all users.