Disability: the facts
Monday 18 April 2005
There are 8.6 million disabled people in Britain, which is one in seven of the population.
Disabled people in the UK are protected in law by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which covers people who are disabled now or have been in the past. The word 'disability' in the Act means a physical or mental impairment that affects your day-to-day life and is long term.
For further information on what is or is not classified as disabled under the Act take a look through our recommended links.
The Act provides disabled people with protection against discrimination across all aspects of life.
Disabled people are protected at work under the Act, as well as benefiting from a range of regulations and laws put in place to protect all employees, such as Working Time Regulations or Minimum Wage.
If an employer has 15 employees or more, they cannot:
- Discriminate during the recruitment of staff, unless it can be fully 'justified'.
- Prevent a disabled person's access to training or promotion.
- Ignore the needs of a person with a disability in the work environment.
When it comes to renting or buying a house, it is unlawful for a landlord, owner, housing association or council to be discriminatory. Although a landlord does not have to make his or her flat more accessible to disabled people while on the market, it is unlawful to evict a disabled person from a house or flat they live in because of their disability.
Disabled people also have discriminatory protection while they are at school, college or university. From September 2003, sixth forms, colleges and universities will have to provide aids and services for disabled students. For example, sign language interpreters will have to be used to help deaf students during lectures.
More information on these rules can be found in the Disability Discrimination Act itself or via the Disability Rights Commission web site.
The rules about transport and disabled access to buses, trains and aeroplanes are complex.
All new buses and trains now have to be built in a way that gives people more accessibility. It will take some time before all these new buses and trains are introduced, but some local councils are making sure that a number of these accessible buses are being used.
In the meantime, all train companies must publish details of how disabled people can use their services. These should be available from the train company itself. Disabled people living in England are currently entitled to a free bus pass.
Airlines should be able to provide special seating for disabled people and airports do provide some level of assistance, but it's always a good idea to tell your travel agent of your circumstances beforehand.
Click on our links to read up on your rights as a disabled person, or to get in touch with a professional advisor.
