Lesson 5 of 7Safety and the law
Accessible lifts and the law.
Several sets of rules decide how accessible a building’s lifts must be, and each applies at a different moment: when a new lift is supplied, when building work is done, and every day the building is in use. This lesson explains what each one asks for, and what “DDA compliant” really means.
Three sets of rules.
No single law decides how accessible a lift must be. Three sets of rules apply at different moments in a lift’s life, and one building can be covered by all three.
| When | Rules | Who they apply to | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A new lift is supplied | The Lifts Regulations 2016, or for platform lifts the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 | The installer or manufacturer | A lift that disabled people can get into and use, where its size allows |
| Building work is done | The Building Regulations 2010, Part M, with guidance in Approved Document M | The people commissioning and carrying out the work, checked by building control | Reasonable provision for people to get into and use the building, including between storeys |
| The building is in use | The Equality Act 2010 | Service providers and employers | Reasonable adjustments, which can include changes to a lift |
The table shows England. Wales publishes its own approved documents, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own building regulations. In Northern Ireland, disability discrimination is still covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, not the Equality Act.
What “DDA compliant” means.
Lifts are often described as “DDA compliant”, including on our own website. The phrase comes from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. In England, Wales and Scotland, the Equality Act 2010 repealed that Act and replaced it, and the Equality Act’s duties are the ones that apply today. In Northern Ireland, the 1995 Act is still in force.
So “DDA compliant” is best read as shorthand for a lift designed with disabled people in mind. It is not a legal standard. When you are buying a lift or taking one on, ask for evidence that means something today:
- For a new passenger lift, the installer’s declaration of conformity under the Lifts Regulations 2016, and the standards it was built to, such as BS EN 81-70
- For a new platform lift, the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity under the machinery regulations, and the standard it was built to, such as BS EN 81-41
- Where the lift was part of building work, the building control sign-off for that work
- For a building in use, an access audit that looks at how disabled people reach and use the building, including its lifts
Rules for new lifts.
Most new passenger lifts must meet the Lifts Regulations 2016. Among their essential health and safety requirements is one about access for disabled people.
The law
“Where the lift is intended for the transport of persons, and where its dimensions permit, the car must be designed and constructed in such a way that its structural features do not obstruct or impede access and use by disabled persons and so as to allow any appropriate adjustments intended to facilitate its use by them.”
The regulations add that the controls of lifts meant for unaccompanied disabled people must be designed and placed for them, and that every car must have a two-way means of communication giving permanent contact with a rescue service.
The regulations say what must be achieved, not how. A lift built to a designated standard is presumed to meet the requirements that the standard covers. For accessibility, that standard is BS EN 81-70, currently BS EN 81-70:2021
Lifts that move at 0.15 metres per second or slower, such as platform lifts, fall outside the Lifts Regulations. They are machinery, covered by the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. The European standards written for them are BS EN 81-41 for vertical lifting platforms and BS EN 81-40 for stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms, both intended for people with impaired mobility. Our page on platform lifts explains how we maintain and repair them.
Building work and Part M.
Part M of the Building Regulations 2010 covers access to and use of buildings. For buildings other than dwellings, Approved Document M, Volume 2 says that Part M applies when:
- A new building is put up
- An existing building is extended or materially altered
- A building, or part of one, changes use to a hotel or boarding house, an institution, a public building or a shop
Volume 1 of the Approved Document covers dwellings. Volume 2 also reminds readers that the building regulations are not the only duty.
Statutory guidance
“It should be noted that, regardless of compliance with Building Regulations, there will be obligations under the Equality Act 2010 for service providers and employers to consider barriers created by physical features in buildings.”
When an existing building is altered, the work itself must meet Part M. The guidance gives the arrangements for people to get from one level to another as an example: if they are altered, the result must comply, and the building as a whole must be no less compliant than it was before.
For getting between storeys, the guidance sets an order of preference.
| Device | When the guidance accepts it | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger lift | The most suitable way to move between storeys, to be provided wherever possible. A new building should have one serving every storey | A car at least 1100 mm wide and 1400 mm deep |
| Lifting platform | In an existing building where a passenger lift cannot reasonably be accommodated, or in a new building where site constraints rule one out. The guidance notes that it is not equivalent to a passenger lift | A speed of no more than 0.15 metres per second and continuous pressure controls. Travel of more than 2 metres needs a liftway enclosure |
| Wheelchair platform stairlift | Only in exceptional circumstances in an existing building, serving an intermediate level or a single storey | Only where users can be instructed in its safe use and management supervision can be ensured. It should not restrict other people’s safe use of the stair |
Our lesson on lift sizes and dimensions sets out the car sizes, door widths and platform sizes in more detail.
Historic buildings, such as listed buildings and buildings in conservation areas, need a balance between conservation and access. The guidance says the aim should be to improve accessibility where and to the extent that it is practically possible, without harming the building’s character, taking account of advice from the local authority’s conservation and access officers.
Approved Documents show one way of meeting the requirements, and designers can propose others if they can show that they work. The guidance advises agreeing the approach with the building control body before work starts, because changes made afterwards can be costly and disruptive.
Check the dates
Approved Document M, Volume 2 still refers to the Lift Regulations 1997, the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 and the 2003 edition of BS EN 81-70. The regulations have since been replaced by the Lifts Regulations 2016 and the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, and the standard has been revised, most recently as BS EN 81-70:2021
The Equality Act in a building in use.
Once a building is open, the Equality Act 2010 matters most. It requires service providers, employers and others to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not put at a substantial disadvantage. One of its three requirements is about physical features.
The law
“The second requirement is a requirement, where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled, to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the disadvantage.”
Avoiding the disadvantage can mean removing the feature, altering it or providing a reasonable way around it. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s statutory code of practice lists “lifts and escalators” among the physical features the duty covers. Unless the Act says otherwise, a disabled person cannot be charged for the cost of an adjustment.
How the duty works depends on who you are.
| Who | Who the duty is owed to | Physical features such as lifts | Where it is in the Act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service providers, such as shops, surgeries, hotels and offices open to the public | Disabled people generally, before any individual asks | Covered. A reasonable alternative way of providing the service can also meet the duty | Section 29 and Schedule 2 |
| Employers | Disabled job applicants and employees | Covered, for the premises the employer occupies | Schedule 8 |
| Landlords and managers of let premises | Disabled tenants and others entitled to occupy the premises, when they ask | Not covered. These rules never require a landlord to remove or alter a physical feature | Section 36 and Schedule 4, paragraph 2 |
| Landlords, for the common parts of let homes | Disabled tenants who live there | The Act includes a duty, but in England and Wales it has not been brought into force | Section 36(1)(d) and Schedule 4, paragraphs 5 to 7 |
The duty on service providers looks ahead. The code of practice says they should not wait until a disabled person wants to use a service before thinking about adjustments. For a building with a lift, that means asking now whether disabled visitors can reach and use it, and what happens when it is out of service.
The Act does not list what is reasonable. The code says it depends on all the circumstances, including how effective a step would be, how practicable it is, its cost and disruption, the service provider’s resources, what it has already spent on adjustments and whether financial or other help is available. A service provider with substantial resources is more likely to be expected to make a costly adjustment than one with fewer resources.
A service provider that leases its premises may need its landlord’s consent before altering them. Where the lease would prevent an alteration needed as a reasonable adjustment, the Act lets the service provider apply to the landlord in writing. The landlord must not withhold consent unreasonably, although it can attach reasonable conditions.
What makes a lift accessible.
Approved Document M lists the features it expects in a passenger lift. They make a useful checklist for any lift, old or new.
Space in front of the lift
Approved Document M asks for an unobstructed space of 1500 mm by 1500 mm in front of each lift, or a straight access route 900 mm wide.
Arrival and floor signals
People need to know that a lift has arrived, which floor it has reached and, in a bank of lifts, which one has come. The guidance asks for audible and visual signals in the car and in the lobby.
Doors
Power-operated sliding doors with a clear width of at least 800 mm. Timing devices and re-opening devices, such as a light curtain, give people and assistance dogs time to get in and out without the doors closing on them. The doors should also stand out visually from the walls around them.
Car controls
Between 900 mm and 1200 mm above the car floor, preferably 1100 mm, and at least 400 mm from a return wall. As at the landing, the car operating panel has raised symbols and buttons that contrast with their surroundings.
Handrail and mirror
A handrail on at least one wall, with its top about 900 mm above the floor, placed so that it does not get in the way of the controls or the mirror. Where the car is too small for a wheelchair user to turn round, a mirror lets them see the space behind them.
Emergency communication
A suitable emergency communication system, so that someone trapped in the car can talk to a rescue service. Our guide to lift autodiallers and EN 81-28 explains how these systems work.
Floor, finishes and lighting
The floor should not be dark, and should grip as well as or better than the landing floor. Lighting should avoid glare, reflections, confusing shadows and pools of light and dark. Walls that reflect light or sound strongly can cause discomfort for people with visual or hearing impairments.
Platform lifts have their own list. Their controls must be held down while the platform moves, they travel at no more than 0.15 metres per second, and they need clear instructions for use. The guidance warns that because platform lifts travel slowly, they may not suit some people using them alone, such as people who tire easily.
Improving an existing lift.
Standards are not law in themselves, and a new edition of BS EN 81-70 does not apply by itself to lifts already in service. Existing lifts usually become more accessible in three ways: reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act, building work, and modernisation.
BS EN 81-82 gives rules for improving the accessibility of existing lifts. Modernisation is a good time to add features such as new car and landing controls with raised symbols, spoken floor announcements, clearer indicators, doors that stay open longer with a light curtain, and a modern emergency communication system. Our lift modernisation page explains how we plan upgrades.
Keeping a lift working matters as much as its design. Where a lift is the only step-free route, a breakdown cuts off anyone who cannot use the stairs. Reliable maintenance, quick repairs and a plan for helping people while the lift is out of action are all part of an accessible building.
Questions to ask about your building’s lifts:
- Do you have duties as a service provider, an employer or a landlord, and towards whom?
- Has the building had an access audit, and did it cover the lifts?
- If you are planning building work, have you agreed the approach to Part M with building control?
- For a new or replacement lift, which standards will it be built to, and will you receive a declaration of conformity?
- How quickly are breakdowns fixed, and how will you help people who cannot use the stairs while the lift is out of service?
- Does your lease limit what you can change without your landlord’s consent?
This lesson explains the general position. For a particular building, take advice from an access consultant, your building control body or a solicitor. If we maintain your lift, we can advise on upgrades that would make it easier for everyone to use.
Check your understanding.
Three quick questions on this lesson. Choose an answer to check it, or open the answer below each question.
-
Which law sets the accessibility requirements for a new passenger lift when it is supplied?
Show the answer
A. The Lifts Regulations 2016. The Lifts Regulations 2016 set the essential health and safety requirements for new lifts, including that the car must not obstruct access and use by disabled people where its dimensions permit. LOLER covers thorough examinations once a lift is in use at work.
-
Many disabled customers cannot use a shop’s lift. Which law may require the shop to make changes, even with no building work planned?
Show the answer
A. The Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments, which can include changes to physical features such as lifts. The Building Regulations apply when building work is done, and the Lifts Regulations when a new lift is supplied.
-
For a new building other than a home, what does Approved Document M treat as the most suitable way to move between storeys?
Show the answer
A. A passenger lift. Approved Document M treats a passenger lift as the most suitable way to move between storeys. It accepts a platform lift where a passenger lift cannot be accommodated, and a wheelchair platform stairlift only in exceptional circumstances in an existing building.
Sources.
The primary sources for this lesson. We checked them when the lesson was last updated on 18 October 2026. How we research and check our lessons.
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Related reading
Questions about an accessible lift?
We maintain and repair passenger and platform lifts across London, Kent and the South East. Talk to us about keeping yours working for everyone who relies on it.
Common questions.
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
Do lifts have to be DDA compliant?
Not in those words. In England, Wales and Scotland the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was replaced by the Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers and employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including to physical features such as lifts. New lifts must also meet the Lifts Regulations 2016, and building work must meet the building regulations. In Northern Ireland, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 still applies.
What is BS EN 81-70?
BS EN 81-70 is the standard for accessibility to passenger and goods passenger lifts for people including disabled people, published in the UK by BSI. The current edition is BS EN 81-70:2021
Does an existing lift have to meet the latest accessibility standard?
Not automatically. Standards are not law in themselves, and a new edition of BS EN 81-70 does not apply by itself to lifts already in service. But the Equality Act 2010 can require reasonable adjustments, and where building work alters how people get from one level to another, Approved Document M says the result must meet Part M. BS EN 81-82 gives rules for improving the accessibility of existing lifts.
Is a platform lift acceptable instead of a passenger lift?
Sometimes. For buildings other than dwellings, Approved Document M treats a passenger lift as the most suitable way to move between storeys. It accepts a platform lift in an existing building where a passenger lift cannot reasonably be accommodated, and in a new building only where site constraints rule a passenger lift out. A wheelchair platform stairlift is acceptable only in exceptional circumstances in an existing building.