Disability Discrimination Bill passed April 2005
In April 2005 the government passed the disability discrimination bill, which the NUS SWD Campaign lobbied, successful for with its Love Is Campaign- go to www.officeronline.co.uk/campaignsupport/swd/270320.aspx to find out more.
Some of the changes to disability rights introduced in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 will take effect from December this year. The rest will be introduced a year later. Below is a list of the new changes and how the rights of disabled people will be increased.
Measures taking effect from 5th December 2005 will:
- Extend the DDA 1995 to cover, effectively from the point of diagnosis, people with HIV infection, cancer or multiple sclerosis.
- End the requirement that a mental illness must be “clinically well-recognised” before it can be regarded as impairment under the DDA 1995.
- Make third party publishers (e.g. newspapers) liable for publishing discriminatory advertisements.
- Amend the way that the DDA 1995 applies to group insurance to clarify the responsibilities of those concerned with its provisions.
- Introduce for Part 3 of the DDA 1995 (i.e. access to goods and services, public authorities, private clubs and premises) a Questions Procedure similar to that, which already exists in Part 2 (i.e. employment and occupation).
- Make it unlawful for private clubs with 25 or more members to treat disabled people less favourably.
- Make it unlawful for local authorities and the Greater London Authority to treat their disabled members less favourably.
- Clarify where liability falls if police officers discriminate under Part 3 of the DDA 1995.
Those changes taking effect from 4th December 2006 will:
- Put a duty on public authorities to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
- Make functions of public authorities not already covered by the DDA 1995 be brought within its scope.
- Make land-based public transport vehicles be brought within scope of Part 3 of the DDA 1995.
- Provide for all rail vehicles to comply with rail vehicle accessibility regulations by 1 January 2020, apply accessibility regulations to refurbishment of rail vehicles and introduce certification and enforcement provisions.
- Subject to consultation, formalise recognition of disabled persons’ parking badges issued by other countries.
- Extend the duty of reasonable adjustment, other than in respect of physical features, to those who let or manage rented premises, and to common hold premises.
- Ensure landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent for a disability-related improvement to certain rented dwelling houses.
- Extend duties of reasonable adjustment to private clubs with 25 or more members.
- Extend duties of reasonable adjustment to local authorities and the Greater London Authority in respect of their disabled members.
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