On 1 October 2010, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), along with other discrimination laws, was replaced by the Equality Act 2010 in Great Britain (Wales, England and Scotland). In Northern Ireland the DDA is still the law.
The Equality Act brings together a number of different acts and legislations in a simplified way, making it easier for you to know your rights, protecting you from unfair treatment and creating a more equal society.
Importantly, people with disabilities will have the same level of protections under the Equality Act as the DDA provided. The act also brought in some new rights and fills current gaps in protection.
As the Equality Act itself is a long and comprehensive document, in these pages we bring you the key information you need to know as a blind or partially sighted person. We'll tell you:
-
what the act is designed to do
-
how it affects blind and partially sighted people
-
what you can expect your employer, service provider, local authority, school or other organisation to do for you
-
how you can challenge discrimination - including a toolkit for challenging service providers
-
where to go for further information.
We have also published frequently asked questions about the Equality Act 2010.
Remember that no matter what your enquiry, our Helpline team are ready to answer your questions and offer support. Get in touch by calling 0303 123 9999, sending an email to helpline@rnib.org.uk or by completing our online contact form.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission can give you information on the Equality Act - including guidance for service users, workers and businesses.
You can also find information on the Equality Act, including the text of the Act (also in EasyRead format) on the Government Equalities Office website.