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The Disability Discrimination Act (The DDA)

Since its introduction in 1996 the Act requires you not to discriminate against disabled people for reasons relating to their disability by refusing service, by offering a worse standard of service or by offering service on worse terms.

From the employment perspective if you currently employ 15 or more staff (this threshold is likely to be reduced in the foreseeable future) you must not discriminate against disabled people in terms of both recruitment practice and employment conditions. In other words you must employ a disabled person if they are the best candidate for a job and if necessary you must adapt your work environment to help them carry out the job effectively.

Part 3 of the DDA which relates to the provision of Goods and Services is being carried out in stages.

From 2004 it will become necessary for all business to take 'reasonable steps' to remove physical barriers if they deny or make access unreasonably difficult and it's not possible to provide a mean of avoiding them. The DDA does not define the meaning of 'reasonable steps' but the practicability and cost of taking them will be factors to be considered.

NB: A Code of Practice relating to the 2004 phase of the DDA has now been produced by the Disability Rights Commission who can be contacted by:

Disability Rights Commission

FREEPOST,

MID 02164,

Stratford upon Avon,

CV37 9BR

Tel: 08457 622 633

Fax: 08457 778 878

Textphone: 08457 622 644

Email: enquiry@drc-gb.org

Website: www.drc-gb.org