Draft Disability Bill Will Drive out Discrimination, Says Department of Work and Pensions

The draft Disability Bill, published this week by the Government, is "landmark legislation to serve the civil rights of disabled people, driving out discrimination and bringing practical benefits to disabled people and the whole community", according to Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith. New measures announced by the Government include:

• A new positive duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
• The extension of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) to cover almost all activities of the public sector, including such functions as issuing licences.
• Bringing within the scope of the DDA more people diagnosed with the progressive conditions of HIV, MS and cancer.
• Ending the exemption of the use of transport vehicles from the DDA duties on service providers. Also, setting an 'end date' by which all rail vehicles will have to be accessible.
• Enabling disabled people to challenge discrimination when renting property and in their dealings with landlords and managers of rented premises.
• Bringing larger private members' clubs within the scope of the DDA.
• Bringing local Councillors within the scope of the DDA - new rights not to be discriminated against by their local authority including rights to reasonable adjustments.

Bert Massie of the Disability Rights Commission said:

"The DRC warmly welcomes this. The Bill offers the long awaited right for disabled people to use public transport, it deals with injustices caused to cancer and HIV sufferers by providing protection from discrimination and makes it clear that the functions of public bodies are now covered within its scope.

"The provision for a public sector duty to promote disability equality similar to that used for race will have seismic implications in reforming practices and policies across a wide reach of activities bringing about systemic progress for all disabled people.

"The DRC will work with the Government on the Bill in the months ahead to secure its actual passage as soon as possible."

The draft Disability Discrimination Bill, mentioned in last week's Queen's Speech, will amend the existing Disability Discrimination Act. It will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Parliamentary Committee.
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