This Labour Government introduced the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which covers at least ten million people in Britain – one in five of the working age population.
The legislation covers people with a wide range of conditions – including diabetes, depression and severe heart disease – where there is a significant impact on their lives (or would be
without medication or equipment), and where barriers of attitude, policy, practice or environment get in the way of fair treatment.
The legal definition of disability is centred on preventing discrimination and promoting equality. This is because people may face prejudice on the basis of their condition alone. This
can result in ‘direct discrimination’ – for example, refusing to give someone a job or a promotion simply on the basis of their long-term health condition.
However, the Disability Discrimination Act is different in kind from other forms of discrimination laws in the attention it gives to those with duties under the Act being flexible to
enable someone to engage in education, take up a job, work or use a service.
As well as protection from direct discrimination, those protected under the Act also have rights to ‘reasonable adjustments’. The law recognises that discrimination against disabled
people occurs not just as a result of individual prejudice but also because of the ways in which policies and practices operate and the ways that services are run. Reasonable adjustments
might include, for example, changes to a sick leave policy to ensure that disability related absence is dealt with separately; or waiving an open plan working policy.
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 also reduces the burden on individuals taking legal action by introducing a new duty to promote disability equality. This places duties and
responsibilities on public bodies to promote equality for disabled people.
For more details visit: www.drc-gb.org/more_access_options.aspx
The Motability Scheme makes it possible for disabled people to lease or purchase a car, powered wheelchair or scooter at a reasonable price. This company is not-for-profit and a
registered charity. Additional financial support is offered through Motability if needed. For more information on this scheme please visit the Motability website at: www.motability.co.uk
