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What is my Equality Duty?
From December 2006 The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 will
be amended to place a duty on all public bodies to promote disability
equality. This will affect all public bodies from local councils to
government departments, to universities
and hospitals.
The Disability Equality Duty will require the public sector to actively
promote disability equality. This is similar to
the duty to promote race equality under the Race Relations (Amendment)
Act.
This is a positive duty which builds in disability equality at the
beginning of the process, rather than make adjustments at the end. It
will bring about a shift from a legal framework which relies on individual
disabled people complaining about discrimination to one in which the
public sector becomes a proactive agent of change.
How we it
be enforced?
In relation to the Specific Duty and those bodies who will have to
produce a Disability Equality Scheme, the DRC
(Disability Rights Commission) will have the power to issue
compliance notices where it is satisfied that a public authority has
failed to comply with its specific duties under the regulations, and can
enforce the notices in the county or sheriff court.
How can we help?
At the heart of the
Disability Equality Duty is the requirement to involve disabled people in
producing the Disability Equality Scheme including the action plan. This
has to happen at the very outset as many public authorities will have
little experience of involving disabled people. We have
been actively involved in writing such plans for our many DDA access audit
clients including, The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department of
Works and Pensions (DWP) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and
Business Link to name a few. Full list available in the index right.
Disability
Access and Travel Disabled
Accommodation UK
Disabled Care and Care Homes UK
Disabled Children and Childrens
section Disabled Art
and Arts Disabled
and Disability Education
Disabled
Employment and Benefits
Disabled
Mobility Aids and Accessories
Disabled Products aids & Services
Recreation
& Sports for the Disabled
Specific
Disabilities Information Disability
and Disabled Support Groups
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