The Disability Discrimination Act
The aim of The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 and The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 is to end the discrimination that many disabled people face.
As well as having rights in the areas of employment and education, disabled people also have important rights with regards to accessing goods, premises and services. Service providers have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to premises or to the way they provide a service. Sometimes it may need only minor changes to make a service accessible.
Access to goods, premises and services
The Disability Discrimination Act gives disabled people rights not to be discriminated against in the following areas:
* accessing premises for everyday goods
* accessing services such as land-based transport
* buying or renting land or property
* accessing or becoming a member of a larger private club
* accessing the functions of public bodies such as the issuing of licences
Every day services that should be accessible to disabled people include those provided by local councils, doctors’ surgeries, shops, hotels, banks, post offices, pubs, cafes, theatres, cinemas, hairdressing salons, places of worship, courts and voluntary groups such as play groups. Non-educational services provided by schools should also be made accessible.