26 November 2004 - Honouring our commitment to disabled people – Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, today spoke of his pride that the Government is honouring its commitment to disabled people as the Disability Discrimination Bill was published in the House of Lords.
Alan Johnson said:
“This is a landmark piece of legislation that forms a crucial part of the Government’s continued commitment to the wider agenda of improving the lives of disabled people.
“The Bill builds on the significant measures we have already introduced since 1997 by broadening the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and strengthening many of its provisions.
“It would extend the scope of the DDA to include more people with HIV, MS and cancer by protecting them, effectively, from the point of diagnosis. This would bring around 175,000 additional people within scope of the Act annually.”
Maria Eagle, Minister for Disabled People and lead Minister on the Bill added:
“The Bill will have a real and meaningful impact on the lives of disabled people. Its measures would mean that the public sector would be required to consider the needs of disabled people rather than waiting for a complaint or a problem to arise. It would make challenging discrimination much easier and result in improvements to everyday activities such as using public transport.”
The Bill, which was announced in this year’s Queen’s speech, proposes amending the existing Disability Discrimination Act to include:
- A new positive duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people.
- Protection for more people diagnosed with the progressive conditions of HIV, MS and cancer.
- A power to apply the DDA duties on other service providers to transport, set an end date by which all rail vehicles will have to comply with accessibility regulations and apply those regulations to vehicles which are being refurbished.
- Provisions enabling disabled people to get reasonable adjustments, other than to physical features, when dealing with landlords and managers of rented premises.
- New rights for disabled local Councillors not to be discriminated against by their local authority including rights to reasonable adjustments.
- Coverage of bodies that award general qualifications (like GCSEs and A Levels).
- Coverage of almost all activities of the public sector, including such functions as issuing licences.
- Coverage of larger private members’ clubs (i.e. those with 25 or more members).
Notes for editors
- Following pre-legislative scrutiny on a draft version of the Bill earlier in 2004, the Government accepted the majority of the Parliamentary Committee’s recommendations. The Bill has been amended to include those legislative measures which the Government accepts.
- A copy of the Bill can be obtained from The Stationery Office, 0870 600 5522, www.tso.co.uk and will be available on line at www.parliament.uk
- The Government’s 2001 Manifesto commitment is to extend rights and opportunities for disabled people. The Bill is the final step in meeting this commitment but goes further in some respects, including:
- removing the requirement in the DDA’s definition of disability that a mental illness must be “clinically well recognised”;
- amending the “Blue Badge” Parking Scheme for disabled people to ensure reciprocity with other European States;
- extending the DDA to cover bodies awarding general qualifications (such as GCSEs).
- A consultation on the details of the principal public sector elements of the Bill ended on 21 October. Further details are available on http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2004/equality/
- The DDA, and Regulations made under it, already provides extensive protection for disabled people against discrimination in areas such as employment, education, transport and access to goods and services. New provisions which came into force on 1 October 2004 increased protection for disabled people in employment and in access to goods and services. They brought small businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, and previously excluded occupations such as police officers, partners in business partnerships, within the scope of the employment provisions for the first time. This extended coverage to an additional 1 million employers, and 7 million more jobs, including 600,000 in which disabled people already work.
- The new access provisions from 1 October build on existing duties under the DDA for people or organisations that provide services to the public. For the first time service providers are required to make reasonable adjustments to physical features of premises, such as steps and high counters that act as barriers to disabled people accessing their service. These changes will further open up services to around 10 million disabled people in this country.
- For more information see www.disability.gov.uk
Press office media enquiries: please contact Vicki Kennedy - 020 7238 0756
Press office: 020 7238 0866
Out of hours: 07659 108 883
Public enquiries: 020 7712 2171
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk