Your Rights

DDA Legal homepage

Summary: A guide to your rights under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

• Guides to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
• DDA Legal Service
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• About the Disability Discrimination Act
• RNIB and the DDA

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Guides to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

• Basic questions about the DDA answered
• Definition of disability under the DDA
• Employment, recruitment and the DDA
• Access to goods, facilities and services, and public authority functions under the DDA
• 'Reasonable adjustments’ and the DDA
• Private clubs and the DDA
• Transport vehicles and the DDA
• Housing and the DDA
• Education pre 16 and the DDA
• Education post 16 and the DDA
• What to do if you experience discrimination
• Sources of information about the DDA
• Disability equality duty (DDA) for the public sector

Other legal rights

• What is the Human Rights Act?

This information is not an authoritative statement of the law. Whilst we have made every effort to ensure that the information we have provided is correct, we cannot accept any responsibility or liability.

If you would like to request a copy of any of our DDA guides in print, braille or by email, please contact RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999 / 020 7388 2525 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

DDA Legal Service

RNIB DDA Legal Service provides information, advice and where possible representation, at national level, to blind and partially sighted people, on their rights under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, through:

• direct enquiries (telephone / email) from blind and partially sighted people and those supporting them
• provision of a series of information guides on various aspects of the DDA, which are available in a range of formats
• provision of internal / external training on the DDA
• provision of a limited casework service to people with a potential DDA claim.

What the DDA Legal Service cannot do:

• provide advice to employers or service providers
• provide advice internally to RNIB on specific cases
• provide advice to the clients of RNIB consultancy services.

For further details and for all new enquiries, please contact:

Sharon Hoyland (0207 391 2172 / sharon.hoyland@rnib.org.uk)

For more complex legal issues, please contact Liz Woskett-Burton (01733 375308 / liz.woskettburton@rnib.org.uk).

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Please note that from 28 September 2007 the Disability Rights Commission closed. On 1 October 2007, the Equality and Human Rights Commission [EHRC] replaced the three former equality commissions:

• Commission for Racial Equality (CRE)
• Disability Rights Commission (DRC)
• Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) established under the Equality Act 2006. It is accountable for its public funds but is independent of Government.

The new Commission is working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society. The EHRC has taken over the function of the former DRC and deals with disability discrimination as well as discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation, as well as providing advice and information on the Human Rights Act. Further information on the Disability Discrimination Act is available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

About the Disability Discrimination Act

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was passed in 1995, following years of campaigning by disabled people and supporters.

The DDA is a Government measure intended to reduce discrimination against disabled people. It has been amended to improve its scope a number of times, most significantly by the:

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (which introduced provisions to cover education)
• Disability Discrimination Act (Amendment) (Further and Higher Education) Regulations 2006
• Disability Discrimination Amendment Regulations (bringing in changes to employment] 2003
• Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (which covers councillors, private clubs etc).

There are separate amendments, with similar effects, in Northern Ireland.

Significant parts of the law (such as employment) came into force on 2 December 1996. From October 1999, service providers have had to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way services are provided. From October 2004 service providers have had to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to the physical features of premises to overcome physical barriers to access.

Parts of the law relating to education came into force in September 2002, with other parts coming into force in 2003 and 2005. Further new provisions came into force in September 2006. New parts of the law relating to employment came into force in October 2004.

From December 2005, private clubs have had obligations not to treat disabled people less favourably, as have local authorities in respect of councillors. From December 2006, private clubs and local authorities in respect of councillors have had to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to access clubs / function fully as councillors. Public authorities have been covered by anti-discrimination provisions in relation to all their functions; and certain transport vehicles have been covered by the goods and services provisions.

A new duty to promote disability equality was introduced in 2006 – this gives rights to disabled people collectively rather than as individuals.

RNIB and the DDA

RNIB is committed to achieving comprehensive civil rights for all disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act, although much improved, does not deliver all these rights. We will continue to campaign for additional legislation, such as a Single Equality Act, and attitudinal change within society to deliver this goal, as well as for the delivery of high quality services for all blind and partially sighted people.

RNIB Helpline (0845 766 9999 or 020 7388 2525 / helpline@rnib.org.uk) can provide information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem.

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Content author: DDAEnquiries@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13