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Disability legislation

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005

In April 2005, the new DDA was passed. This Act makes it mandatory for the public sector to promote equal opportunities for disabled people. HEFCE and all higher education institutions were required to produce a Disability Equality Scheme by December 2006. We have developed a single Equality Scheme that brings together our race, disability and gender equality schemes.

Copies of the DDA are available through the DDA section on the Directgov web-site.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) 2001

SENDA 2001 came into force in September 2002, incorporating amendments to Part 4 of the DDA(1995), which deals with education. This legislation placed new duties on the providers of post-16 education (and related services) to disabled people.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Further information and guidance, including the code of practice that accompanies Part 4 of the DDA for post-16 education providers, is available from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This new commission was established on the 1 October 2007. It brings together the work of the three previous equality commissions (the Disability Rights Commission, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Commission for Racial Equality) and also takes on responsibility for other aspects of equality: age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and human rights.

Further information

Further information on the DDA and SENDA is available from the Equality Challenge Unit and Skill.

Last updated 21 December 2007