ABSTRACT
The title is not the only change to the 2004 Approved Document. Requirements M1-M4 have been replaced and the guidance contained in Approved Document M applies to all people, not just those with a disability. This shift of emphasis takes account of the Disabled Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), the Disability Discrimination (Employment) Regulations 1996 (DDR), the wide range of ‘disabilities’ and the content of BS 8300: now 2009. The DDA has been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010, and supporting Codes of Practice, but retains the obligations. The Act brings together more than 116 separate pieces of legislation forming a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. Require - ments M1-M4 can still be said to originate from the need to secure the welfare and convenience of persons in or about buildings. In Great Britain over six million adults have a disability of one form or another. They may have difficulty in walking, need to use a wheelchair or suffer from a hearing or sight impairment. This ‘disability’ may be temporary (e.g. a broken ankle) or long term (i.e. expected to last more than 12 months).
