Disability Discrimination Act

Disability Discrimination Act

How would you feel if you knew someone who is denied to get a job because of its disabilities? How would you react if you see a disabled person having been refused to take a taxi because of his or her condition? You will probably get angry and sympathize as those are the common reaction of sensible people to situations like that. Generally, discrimination to anybody's disability is not only morally wrong, but it is also unlawful. It is disturbing to know that there are people who show less consideration or nothing at all to physically and mentally unfortunate individuals. But, the days of those kinds of people are almost over. If normal people need protection, so are the disabled individuals!

With regard to disability protection, an act is created to look after those who have disability and to let them feel they have a place in this world just like everybody else. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is a UK parliamentary act that makes it against the law to discriminate against anyone with respect to his or her disabilities in relation to employment, the provision of goods and services, education and transport. In other words, it is a civil rights law.

Not because you are physically and mentally normal, does not mean you the right to discriminate disabled people. How would you feel if you are disabled and you are the one being discriminated? It's not easy to live in a state of disability, but in spite of it all, it is surprising to see many disabled people continue to live their lives and never lose hope. Therefore, it is just right to give them the chance to live life to the fullest as much as we did.

According to the Disability Discrimination Act, it gives disabled people the rights to access most of normal people have in everyday life including:

§ Access to shops, cafes, transport, and other services

Access to services is not only limited to installing ramps and widening doorways for wheelchair users, it is also about making services easier to use for all disabled people.


§ Your right to health

Disabled person share the same general rights of access to health and social care as other people do. The disability discrimination act gives disabled individuals important rights of access to health and social services such as doctors, hospitals and mobile screening units and more.

§ Your right to education

The Special Education Needs and Disability Act of 2001 modified the Disability Discrimination Act to make it unlawful for education providers to discriminate against disabled students and adult learners.
§ Your rights in employment

Disabled workers share the same general employment rights as other workers, but there are also some special provisions for them under the disability discrimination act. Employers, though, are allowed to have reasonable medical criteria for employment and to expect satisfactory performance from all employees as soon as reasonable adjustments have been made. Aside from imposing obligations on employers, the disability discrimination act places duties on service providers and requires reasonable adjustments to be made when providing access to goods, facilities, services, and premises.